Business
New Study Just Busted Myth That High Potency THC Is Bad
It makes no sense for medical or healthcare providers to discourage people, including recreational cannabis users, to stop buying high-THC cannabis. Here’s why.
The accessibility to a fantastic array of cannabis these days is amazing. Consumers have hundreds of choices right on their fingertips: from non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD), mind-altering tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to get you high, medicinal products, and compounds of all forms for recreational and medical users.
There are also those that say the weed in the market today is nothing like our grandparents’ weed. That is also true, but many are criticizing the potential dangers of high THC cannabis.
After all, it’s common to see cannabis flower and oil products with THC contents with an average of 20% THC in dispensaries, while the braver, more seasoned consumers go for concentrates that can reach as much as 95% THC. These are not for the faint of heart, nor are they for those with possible mental health problems such as a risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.
Having said that, we shouldn’t be demonizing high potency THC just because of that. It does have many health benefits.A recent paper backed up by data from the Project Twenty21 (T21) in the United Kingdom assessed the quality of life for medical cannabis patients suffering from anxiety and chronic pain when they were given a high-THC cannabis flower containing 20% THC and 1% CBD ratio, called Khiron 20:1, cultivated by Khiron Life Sciences.
High THC flower is the most commonly prescribed cannabis-based product for medical use in humans. These have been legal in the United Kingdom since November 2018, as authorized by the Home Office for eligible patients. Smoking of these flowers is prohibited, though inhalation is permitted.
The data analyzed patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) which were collected before and after 3 months for follow-up. They looked at metrics including health-related quality of life (HRQoL), sleep, and mood of patients. Meanwhile, they also measured the severity of illness using the Brief Pain Inventory Short Form as well as the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale.
The researchers found that inhaling the cannabis was effective in improving sleep and general mood, while reducing pain severity and anxiety. “Our results indicate that controlled inhalation of pharmaceutical-grade, THC-predominant cannabis flos, Khiron 20:1 is associated with a significant improvement in patient-reported pain scores, mood, anxiety, sleep disturbances and overall HRQoL in a treatment-resistant clinical population,” the researchers concluded.
Other Benefits Of Potent Cannabis
Truth be told, many people are in dire need of the medicinal benefits of high-THC cannabis. The fact that any cannabis product contains more THC means more of it will enter the bloodstream, resulting in more powerful physiological and psychoactive effects. It also means that patients can derive more powerful therapeutic benefits from medical conditions. It has been proven to help countless people with severe and chronic pain, insomnia, vomiting, nausea, lack of appetite, and many more.
In addition, studies show that THC is a neuroprotectant, which means it prevents damage in the brain cells. Over time, the quality and quantity of brain cells are reduced, which can increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, and much more.
Thousands of people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also find relief from THC products. The insomnia, depression, severe anxiety, nightmares, and agitation can all rob one of living a normal life, but THC has also been shown to help. By taking THC products, PTSD patients can finally experience some semblance of a normal life.
On the other hand, it can also be used recreationally. Smoking or consuming potent THC products greatly leads to relaxation, offering powerful stress relief without the harmful side effects of alcohol. It can even help boost creativity and help people work out more efficiently.
Stop Criminalizing High Potency THC
In summary, there is evidence for the benefits of high THC cannabis. Of course, we are again emphasizing that those with serious mental health disorders such as psychosis and schizophrenia are clearly not the best market for these products. But they work just fine for the others that do take it.
Take alcohol, for example. There are numerous alcohol brands containing high levels of potent spirits, which can easily cause alcohol poisoning. It doesn’t even take several drinks for this to occur. Yet, we allow these substances to be sold openly – in many cases even to minors – while demonizing high potency marijuana.
Sure, even cannabis concentrates can be over consumed. This is not ideal. But that’s why instead of criminalizing it or claiming they cause mass hysteria and psychosis, what we really do need is more education. It has been established by experts and scientists that just 5mg of THC is enough to produce mild psychoactive effects even in occasional or non-users; only experienced recreational consumers should experiment with higher doses. Furthermore, people who are prone to mental health problems are advised to work under supervision of a cannabis-knowledgeable doctor if they intend to use higher doses to assist with certain ailments, physical, mental, or otherwise.
It makes no sense for medical or healthcare providers to discourage people, including recreational cannabis users, to stop buying high-THC cannabis. No amount of THC can kill anyone, but there should be an emphasis on responsible consumption. Sure, you might have an uncomfortable hit lasting a few hours, but that’s why it’s always recommended to go low and slow.
For anyone who wants to learn more about incorporating high THC cannabis either for recreational or medical purposes, do your own research. Patients are better off talking to a doctor. Don’t go about it on your own, especially if you think you may have a mental health condition.
Source: https://thefreshtoast.com/news/new-study-just-busted-myth-that-high-potency-thc-is-bad/
Business
New Mexico cannabis operator fined, loses license for alleged BioTrack fraud
New Mexico regulators fined a cannabis operator nearly $300,000 and revoked its license after the company allegedly created fake reports in the state’s traceability software.
The New Mexico Cannabis Control Division (CCD) accused marijuana manufacturer and retailer Golden Roots of 11 violations, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Golden Roots operates the The Cannabis Revolution Dispensary.
The majority of the violations are related to the Albuquerque company’s improper use of BioTrack, which has been New Mexico’s track-and-trace vendor since 2015.
The CCD alleges Golden Roots reported marijuana production only two months after it had received its vertically integrated license, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Because cannabis takes longer than two months to be cultivated, the CCD was suspicious of the report.
After inspecting the company’s premises, the CCD alleged Golden Roots reported cultivation, transportation and sales in BioTrack but wasn’t able to provide officers who inspected the site evidence that the operator was cultivating cannabis.
In April, the CCD revoked Golden Roots’ license and issued a $10,000 fine, according to the news outlet.
The company requested a hearing, which the regulator scheduled for Sept. 1.
At the hearing, the CCD testified that the company’s dried-cannabis weights in BioTrack were suspicious because they didn’t seem to accurately reflect how much weight marijuana loses as it dries.
Company employees also poorly accounted for why they were making adjustments in the system of up to 24 pounds of cannabis, making comments such as “bad” or “mistake” in the software, Albuquerque Business First reported.
Golden Roots was fined $298,972.05 – the amount regulators allege the company made selling products that weren’t properly accounted for in BioTrack.
The CCD has been cracking down on cannabis operators accused of selling products procured from out-of-state or not grown legally:
- Regulators alleged in August that Albuquerque dispensary Sawmill Sweet Leaf sold out-of-state products and didn’t have a license for extraction.
- Paradise Exotics Distro lost its license in July after regulators alleged the company sold products made in California.
Golden Roots was the first alleged rulebreaker in New Mexico to be asked to pay a large fine.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/new-mexico-cannabis-operator-fined-loses-license-for-alleged-biotrack-fraud/
Business
Marijuana companies suing US attorney general in federal prohibition challenge
Four marijuana companies, including a multistate operator, have filed a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in which they allege the federal MJ prohibition under the Controlled Substances Act is no longer constitutional.
According to the complaint, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, retailer Canna Provisions, Treevit delivery service CEO Gyasi Sellers, cultivator Wiseacre Farm and MSO Verano Holdings Corp. are all harmed by “the federal government’s unconstitutional ban on cultivating, manufacturing, distributing, or possessing intrastate marijuana.”
Verano is headquartered in Chicago but has operations in Massachusetts; the other three operators are based in Massachusetts.
The lawsuit seeks a ruling that the “Controlled Substances Act is unconstitutional as applied to the intrastate cultivation, manufacture, possession, and distribution of marijuana pursuant to state law.”
The companies want the case to go before the U.S. Supreme Court.
They hired prominent law firm Boies Schiller Flexner to represent them.
The New York-based firm’s principal is David Boies, whose former clients include Microsoft, former presidential candidate Al Gore and Elizabeth Holmes’ disgraced startup Theranos.
Similar challenges to the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) have failed.
One such challenge led to a landmark Supreme Court decision in 2005.
In Gonzalez vs. Raich, the highest court in the United States ruled in a 6-3 decision that the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution gave Congress the power to outlaw marijuana federally, even though state laws allow the cultivation and sale of cannabis.
In the 18 years since that ruling, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized adult-use marijuana and the federal government has allowed a multibillion-dollar cannabis industry to thrive.
Since both Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice, currently headed by Garland, have declined to intervene in state-licensed marijuana markets, the key facts that led to the Supreme Court’s 2005 ruling “no longer apply,” Boies said in a statement Thursday.
“The Supreme Court has since made clear that the federal government lacks the authority to regulate purely intrastate commerce,” Boies said.
“Moreover, the facts on which those precedents are based are no longer true.”
Verano President Darren Weiss said in a statement the company is “prepared to bring this case all the way to the Supreme Court in order to align federal law with how Congress has acted for years.”
While the Biden administration’s push to reschedule marijuana would help solve marijuana operators’ federal tax woes, neither rescheduling nor modest Congressional reforms such as the SAFER Banking Act “solve the fundamental issue,” Weiss added.
“The application of the CSA to lawful state-run cannabis business is an unconstitutional overreach on state sovereignty that has led to decades of harm, failed businesses, lost jobs, and unsafe working conditions.”
Business
Alabama to make another attempt Dec. 1 to award medical cannabis licenses
Alabama regulators are targeting Dec. 1 to award the first batch of medical cannabis business licenses after the agency’s first two attempts were scrapped because of scoring errors and litigation.
The first licenses will be awarded to individual cultivators, delivery providers, processors, dispensaries and state testing labs, according to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC).
Then, on Dec. 12, the AMCC will award licenses for vertically integrated operations, a designation set primarily for multistate operators.
Licenses are expected to be handed out 28 days after they have been awarded, so MMJ production could begin in early January, according to the Alabama Daily News.
That means MMJ products could be available for patients around early March, an AMCC spokesperson told the media outlet.
Regulators initially awarded 21 business licenses in June, only to void them after applicants alleged inconsistencies with how the applications were scored.
Then, in August, the state awarded 24 different licenses – 19 went to June recipients – only to reverse themselves again and scratch those licenses after spurned applicants filed lawsuits.
A state judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Chicago-based MSO Verano Holdings Corp., but another lawsuit is pending.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/alabama-plans-to-award-medical-cannabis-licenses-dec-1/
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