Tag: United States

3/24/20--The federal Small Business Administration (SBA) reiterated on Monday that marijuana companies are not eligible for disaster relief loans to lessen the blow of the coronavirus outbreak. Because cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, the marijuana industry is being denied access to these aid opportunities, including programs administered by SBA. Read

3/18/20--Daily use of high-potency cannabis has been reported to carry a high risk for developing a psychotic disorder. However, the evidence is mixed on whether any pattern of cannabis use is associated with a particular symptomatology in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients. Findings of a conducted study indicates that patients with a history of daily use of high-potency cannabis present with more positive and less negative symptoms, compared with those who never used cannabis or used low-potency types.  Read

3/25/20--Marijuana made 'essential" in some states amid COVID-19. Alex Berenson, author of 'Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness and Violence.' reacts during a segment on FOX news. Read

3/25/20-- Use of e-cigarettes has recently soared, particularly among young people. Federal and state governments have implemented numerous policies to combat the growth of vaping. According to an article by Jody L. Sindelar published in The New England Journal of Medicine, policies should protect young people without diminishing the ability of e-cigarettes to help adult smokers transition away from more harmful combustible cigarettes or to serve as a cessation aid for people attempting to quit smoking. Read

5/1/20--There is concern that recreational marijuana legalization (RML) may lead to increased cannabis use disorder (CUD) among youth due to increased marijuana use. This study investigates whether adolescent substance use disorder treatment admissions for marijuana use increased in Colorado and Washington following RML. Read

3/25/20--The COVID-19 pandemic has proven a boon to U.S. marijuana producer Curaleaf Holdings Inc. with roughly a 20% boost in sales, as sales jump and many states say that cannabis is an essential service. However, Curaleaf also rescinded its 2020 outlook as a result of the virus, telling investors Tuesday that its stores were closed in Massachusetts for the time being and will likely experience a falloff in sales in Nevada because of decreased tourism. Read

3/26/20--The current lack of knowledge surrounding advertised potencies in the legal cannabis market limits the ability to generate clear policies regarding online advertising to protect patients that are willing to use cannabis for their condition. Mary Catherine Cash, Katharine Cunnane, Chuyin Fan, and E. Alfonso Romero-Sandoval evaluated the advertised THC and CBD content of cannabis products offered online in dispensaries in the United States to determine products’ suitability to medicinal use and compare the strength of products offered in legal medical and recreational programs. Read

3/15/20--Marijuana stocks are plummeting and companies are running low on cash, making consolidation and bankruptcies inevitable in the near future. However, in other parts of the world marijuana companies still have good prospects. Read

3/12/20--Marijuana stocks have gone through a massive roller-coaster ride over the past couple of years. Now, there's just as much pessimism as there was optimism back then, and even well-established leaders in the cannabis industry have felt the pain. Read

2/26/20--State health officials announced Wednesday that a fifth person has died from a vaping-related illness in Massachusetts. Officials did not say whether he purchased the product through a licensed dispensary or through the illicit market. The man is among 46 confirmed cases of vaping-related illness in Massachusetts. Read

2/23/20--US Senator Elizabeth Warren unveiled a plan for federal marijuana reform Sunday, calling for legalization as well as a series of policies aimed at righting the wrongs of the drug war and promoting involvement in the legal industry by communities harmed by prohibition. Read

3/1/20--According to a op-ed by Christopher Rufo of The Daily Signal, there has been little clarity on what’s really driving the homelessness crisis in West Coast cities. For the past decade, progressive political leaders, activists, and media organizations have insisted that housing costs are the primary cause of homelessness. Yet, as an emerging body of evidence shows, homelessness in America’s West Coast cities is driven by three interrelated phenomena: addiction, mental illness, and permissive public policies. Read

2/27/20--Children and teens with epilepsy who were treated with pharmaceutical cannabidiol (CBD) had much better seizure control than those who were treated with artisanal CBD, according to a preliminary study. Read

3/1/20--Center for Food Safety's updated Hemp CBD Scorecard evaluates many of the top hemp CBD producers on their production methods, testing protocols, and transparency to consumers. Read

2/25/20--A male’s marijuana use appears to alter sperm prior to mating, causing offspring to develop distinct abnormalities in areas of the brain that help govern learning, memory, reward and mood, according to a Duke-led study conducted on rats. Read

3/2/20--Adjunctive cannabidiol at doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg/d led to similar clinically relevant reductions in convulsive seizure frequency with a better safety and tolerability profile for the 10-mg/kg/d dose in children with treatment-resistant Dravet syndrome. Dose increases of cannabidiol to greater than 10 mg/kg/d should be tailored to individual efficacy and safety. Read

2/10/20--Grocery store giant Kroger, which has a large footprint in the midwest and south, is lobbying the federal government on hemp. It's the first company of its kind to do so, and indicated it is lobbying on “issues related to the regulation of topical products containing CBD oils and hemp derived products following the implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill,” according to its Q4 2019 disclosures. Read

2/12/20--A common variation in a human gene that affects the brain's reward processing circuit increases vulnerability to the rewarding effects of the main psychoactive ingredient of cannabis in adolescent females, but not males, according to preclinical research. As adolescence represents a highly sensitive period of brain development with the highest risk for initiating cannabis use, these findings in mice have important implications for understanding the influence of genetics on cannabis dependence in humans. Read

2/12/20--In a survey study of 4183 respondents examining factors associated with use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), including JUUL, among high school students, inclusion of a JUUL use measure produced higher estimates of current use than assessing the use of e-cigarettes or JUUL alone, and 88.8% of youth reported using the JUUL brand. In addition, current use of other tobacco products, endorsing a tobacco brand on social media, having tobacco-branded merchandise, having close friends who used JUUL, and seeing JUUL used on school grounds were significantly associated with current and frequent e-cigarette use, inclusive of JUUL. Read

2/11/20--Medical cannabis refers to preparations of the cannabis plant that patients use to treat medical conditions, and it has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years by many civilizations. As of January 2020, 33 states and the District of Columbia had put laws into place so physicians can certify the use of “medical marijuana,” or medical cannabis, for debilitating medical conditions—although cannabis remains illegal federally. Read

2/11/20--The JAMA Internal Medicine Patient Page outlines pertinent details about medical marijuana, it's use, the dangers, and how it's regulated in the United States. Read 

2/14/20--NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez joins TODAY to inform parents about a much more potent way to use marijuana called “dabbing” that is getting more popular among teens.  Read

2/14/20--Canopy Growth Corp. logged fiscal third-quarter net revenue of C$123.8 million ($93.5 million), well higher than the FactSet consensus of C$105 million reflecting strong year-over-year and sequential growth. Whereas, Canadian cannabis companies like Aurora Cannabis Inc. have struggled to produce those types of results of late. Read

2/15/20--Security guards at an Air Force base responsible for protecting strategic nuclear missiles in three states are under investigation for alleged marijuana use. They are part of the same security force whose members were caught using the hallucinogen LSD four years ago. Those under investigation have been removed from their duties until the probe is completed, the Air Force said. Read

2/15/20--A study using a card simulation where participants try to earn as much money as possible by choosing from different decks found that participants who used marijuana at least five times a week in the past year were prone to choosing decks with large rewards but larger losses, leading them to have a low net score for the task. Those who reported minimal to no use of marijuana chose decks with small rewards and small losses, but scored a high net score by the end of the task, researchers note. Read

2/17/20--Hemp farming drew heavy interest from Minnesota farmers as a fast-growing market for CBD oil emerged from nowhere. More than 500 growers and processors secured licenses under the state’s industrial hemp pilot program last year, but the business is perilous, and the rules give farmers little room for error. In fact, thirty growers in Minnesota were ordered to destroy their crops in 2019 after they tested too high for THC. Read

2/7/20--Last month, a putative class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court against Charlotte’s Web, Inc., a Colorado-based maker of cannabidiol (“CBD”) oils, balms and gummies claiming that its website is not accessible to visually impaired shoppers, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Read

2/13/20--Scientists have determined that liners inside aluminum cans can cause cannabis drinks to lose their potency. By the time a pot drink is put in a can, shipped, stored in a warehouse, displayed in a store, and consumed, the THC buzz may have diminished or disappeared. Canopy Growth has been the most active in the drinks category among Canadian licensed producers with the vast majority packaged in cans. Read

2/2/20--Steve Grant, who lost both of his children to drug overdoses, his older son at 21 years old and his younger one, five years later, at 24, tells their story in his recent book in hopes of his experience helping others. Read

2/2/20--Health concerns are sparking restrictions on advertising alcohol on billboards and television, but on social media—which transcends national borders—lax age controls and the use of influencers make booze marketing hard to police. Read

2/2/20--According to an article by Keith Speights published in The Motley Fool, stocks with the greatest likelihood of building fortunes tend to have small market caps and huge market opportunities. The marijuana stocks Speights believes investors can buy right now that hold the potential to be millionaire-makers are: Valens, Organigram, and Innovative Industrial Properties. Read

2/2/10-- 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg recognizes that there are disagreements on the issue of marijuana legalization within Congress. Ideally, Buttigieg's would like to work with members of Congress from across the aisle on the issue, but if that approach doesn't work, he would put his hyperbolic “Plan B” into action for legalization by visiting the home district of any member standing in the way of his own voters and have a conversation with the voters about why this needs to happen. Read

2/1/20--To summarize, Sundial Growers and MedMen lose their CEOs, and in other news, the Southern University and A&M College launched its own hemp-derived CBD product line, ALAFIA, in partnership with Ilera Holistic Healthcare. In the capital markets, stocks were mostly down in marijuana. Lastly, Australia launched its new cannabis laws, allowing people to grow their own marijuana and hold up to 50 grams of dried flowers, but maintain the sale of adult use marijuana prohibited. Read

2/3/20--A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology examined the possible interactions marijuana may have with drugs typically prescribed for cardiovascular issues, and the way marijuana chemicals may affect the heart at a molecular level. Current evidence is limited, and what little there is does not suggest a clear link between marijuana use and cardiovascular events. More high quality research is necessary to determine precisely how and why marijuana affects cardiovascular health — if it does at all. Read

2/3/20--Recently, researchers found another connection between how using drugs in your teens can affect brain development. NIDA for Teen reports that teens who use nicotine, alcohol, and marijuana have two brain areas that are smaller than average when they become adults. Although other factors could also be involved, this particular correlation is worth knowing about and is being studied by scientists. Read

2/3/20--Ukraine-born cannabis investor Andrey Kukushkin, who was working on a medical cannabis research deal with the Department of Veterans Affairs, is facing federal charges over an alleged plot to trade political donations for help obtaining marijuana licenses around the country. Kukushkin was indicted alongside the businessmen Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman and their associate David Correa. All four men have pleaded not guilty. Read

2/3/20--Today, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Jim Carroll released the Trump Administration’s National Drug Control Strategy, which establishes the President’s priorities for addressing the challenge of drug trafficking and use. Read

2/3/20--Seemingly, there is increasing use of marijuana during pregnancy, and online accounts indicate that women are considering use of marijuana for labour pain. According to the survey, one third of women would consider the use of marijuana for labour pain, although many are unsure of its effects. Furthermore, most women would feel comfortable discussing this topic with their obstetrician, but the number and attitudes of women who would consider this are unknown. Read

2/3/20--The celebrity marijuana company Whoopi & Maya has ceased operations. The company has stopped selling, manufacturing and marketing its products that were geared to women due to an irreconcilable split between the principles. Read

2/3/20--Given the growing challenges in chronic pain management coupled with the ongoing consequences of the opioid epidemic, pain management practitioners are looking into more effective, innovative, and safer alternatives to treat pain. The use of CBD and its potential role in pain management was investigated by examining recent literature, but based on the available literature, it was deemed difficult to make a recommendation for the use of CBD in chronic pain management. Read

1/15/20--Physicians have seen some of the outcomes associated with marijuana use in pregnant individuals. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 16.2% of pregnant women between the ages of 18 and 44 are daily. Estimates also indicate that between 2009 and 2016 cannabis use among pregnant females has nearly doubled, with young age being positively correlated with use. Read

1/14/20--In a new study, scientists lay out the evidence for a potentially deadly affect of THC on the body — accelerating the growth of a common cancer. According to Joseph Califano, researcher at the University of California, San Diego and study co-author, there is convincing scientific evidence that daily marijuana use can drive tumor growth in HPV-related head and neck cancer. Seemingly, doses used recreationally activate a cancer-causing pathway. Read

1/17/20--A study comparing birth and early developmental screening outcomes for infants with and without in utero cannabis exposures may adversely impact fetal growth during pregnancy. Read

1/17/20--A new study from researchers at Western University and Queen's University definitively shows that regular exposure to THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, during pregnancy has significant impact on placental and fetal development. Read

1/16/20--As published in JAMA Oncology, a thorough review by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found moderate evidence of no statistical association between cannabis use and the development of lung and head and neck cancers. Furthermore, limited evidence of a statistical association was found between cannabis use and the development of nonseminomatous testicular carcinomas without good support for a causative effect. Read

1/14/20--Cannabis-infused beverages are a relatively small slice of the $11.3 billion in U.S. cannabis sales in 2018. Fortune Business Insights estimated global sales of cannabis-infused beverages totaled $174 million in 2018. The continuing federal prohibition of cannabis has kept risk-averse global brands from investing in the U.S. market. However, brewers that have already developed zero-alcohol alternatives to their traditional offerings are now preparing cannabis-infused versions of those products. Read

1/19/20--Some of Canada's biggest cannabis producers are facing proposed class-action lawsuits in the United States after investors were hit with steep financial losses in the stock market. Although the allegations vary, each pot producer is accused of misleading investors or failing to disclose certain problems with their businesses. When those problems became publicly known, the lawsuits claim, share prices plunged and investors were stuck with losses. Read

1/16/20--Six state agriculture departments have opted to run their 2020 hemp production programs under the existing rules; however, state agriculture officials in several of those states say their pilot programs’ expiration dates could lead to serious problems. Recommendations to the USDA have been made to extend the agency grant deadline to state pilot programs through the end of the 2020 calendar year. Read

1/19/20--William P. Murphy and Claudio Cardaropoli, co-conspirators in a $20 million nationwide marijuana trafficking ring, often shipped drugs in boxes purporting to contain golf carts, according to an FBI agent who testified at a hearing in U.S. District Court. Both have been charged with marijuana trafficking conspiracy, money laundering, and drug distribution. Read

1/19/20--A recently published study shows students are turning to marijuana over alcohol in states where weed is legal. Conducted by Oregon State University, the study concludes that states where marijuana was legalized by 2018, including Colorado, had a rise in occasional and frequent pot use by college students, who were 18 percent more likely to have used marijuana in the past thirty days than in states where marijuana is still illegal. Read

1/15/20--A recently published report describes the case of an 11-day-old female neonate who died due to acute marijuana toxicity and highlights the need for more research on the impact of marijuana use on pregnancy outcomes. The cause of death was specifically declared to be “extensive necrosis and hemorrhage of the liver and adrenals”, which was deemed to be caused by maternal use of marijuana. Read

1/21/20--High Times is getting into the retail game by opening two cannabis dispensaries in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. These flagship dispensaries will carry a variety of High Times-branded merchandise alongside locally sourced cannabis products that have previously won awards at Cannabis Cup events. Read

1/17/20--An appeals court in New Jersey has ruled that an employer must reimburse a former employee for the cost of medical cannabis in a move that could have far-reaching effects for the industry. Steve Schain, senior attorney at Hoban Law Group, views the New Jersey ruling as a monumental moment for the medical cannabis industry and its patients for other reasons, too; namely, that it may encourage private insurance companies—and perhaps even government insurance—to also cover medical cannabis. Read

1/20/20--Philip Morris Chief Executive Officer Andre Calantzopoulos announced that the company is getting ready to launch a new vaping device, IQOS Mesh, early this year. Calantzopoulos states there “will be consolidation in the market for e-cigarettes” and Philip Morris wants to be on the forefront with its IQOS brand. Although Philip Morris’s merger talks with Altria failed last year amid mounting controversy over the health effects of Juul, it hasn’t given up on a potential reunion with sister company Altria Group Inc. at some point in the future. Read

1/20/20--More than 2 million people with heart disease in the United States have used or are using marijuana, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital found in a new study that called for more research about the drug’s potential cardiovascular risks. Although the researchers did not conclude that marijuana causes heart disease, “observational studies have linked marijuana use to a range of cardiovascular risks, including stroke, arrhythmia and diseases that make it hard for the heart muscle to pump properly,” the hospital in a statement. Read

1/14/20--The editorial board of The New York Times conducted an interview with former vice president Joe Biden. He candidly discussed several matters, including policy issues, as well as what he considers mistakes of the 2016 Clinton campaign, and his current opposition to the federal legalization of marijuana. Read

1/10/20--Dog poisoning from ingesting cannabis is sharply on the rise. The Schaumburg-based American Veterinary Medical Association reports that cannabis-related calls to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ pet poison-control hotline rose 765% during the same period from 2018 to 2019. Also, the Pet Poison Helpline has reported an increase of more than 400% in cannabis poisoning calls over the past six years. Read

1/9/20--The rise of hemp products so similar to marijuana has caught some lawmakers by surprise, and some state lawmakers, alarmed by how difficult it is for law enforcement officers to tell the difference between hemp bud or joints and illegal pot products, are cracking down on smokable hemp. Read

1/8/20--Researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health assessed the time trends in alcohol and marijuana detected in homicide victims and found that the prevalence of marijuana almost doubled, increasing from 22 percent in 2004 to 42 percent in 2016. The findings are published in Injury Epidemiology. Read

1/10/20--Two newfound cannabinoids have been discovered in the glands of the Cannabis plant, and one of them may be at least 30 times as potent as the high-inducing compound THC. However, it's still unknown if it causes a high or has medical benefits. Read