Tag: United States

9/1/20--The evidence found in this study indicates that CBD is a promising adjunct therapy for the treatment of cocaine dependence due to its effect on: cocaine reward effects, cocaine consumption, behavioral responses, anxiety, neuronal proliferation, hepatic protection and safety. Moreover, clinical trials are strongly required to determine whether the findings in animal models occur in humans diagnosed for cocaine or crack cocaine use disorder. Read

7/13/20--Puff Bar, a California-based marketer of disposable e-cigarettes, announced the sales suspension Monday on its website. In a phone call with FairWarning, the company’s Chief Financial Officer Patrick Beltran confirmed that U.S. sales were being halted until further notice, but said that international sales would continue for the time being. Beltran would not give a reason for the move. Read

7/17/20-- This randomized clinical trial found that, compared with vaporized placebo, vaporized cannabis did not statistically significantly reduce pain and associated symptoms, except interference in mood, in patients with SCD with chronic pain. Read

7/15/20--Though there's no evidence that cannabis can treat opioid use disorder, medical boards in four states -- Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and New Mexico -- include the disorder among conditions that qualify a person to access marijuana for medical purposes. Shover and her colleagues found that in the Northeastern states where that is the case, more dispensaries make advertising claims that cannabis can treat opioid addiction than they do in adjacent states. Read

7/14/20--According to this study, state-level policies designating opioid use disorder (OUD) as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis were associated with more dispensaries claiming cannabis can treat OUD. Future studies linking dispensary advertisements to health outcomes in people with OUD (eg, use of MOUDs, overdose mortality) are warranted, as are investigations into advertising that addresses other conditions with major morbidity and mortality consequences. Read

7/1/20--This guide supports health care providers, systems, and communities seeking to prevent vaping. It describes relevant research findings, examines emerging and best practices, identifies knowledge gaps and implementation challenges, and offers useful resources. Read

7/14/20--The Biden-Sanders joint presidential task force recently issued recommendations for a unity platform to move forward on a number of hot button issues. Among them: marijuana legalization, which the task force notably chose not to endorse, siding instead with decriminalization and research. Several commentators—from publications like National Review to The Atlantic and The Nation—chided Biden for not endorsing pot. But, according to a Newsweek op-ed by president and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana Kevin Sabet, the former vice president should be commended for siding with science, not politics. Read

7/13/20--Pandemic anxiety and mounting concerns about vaping have contributed to the increase of cannabis product sales. Since March, the cannabis industry has seen an influx of new customers, and as fear of inhaled products has risen — spurred partly by studies of “vaping illness” and exacerbated by respiratory risks associated with the coronavirus — many consumers have opted to enjoy cannabis in edible form. Read

9/1/20--According to study results, cannabis use is increasing among American adults overall, yet is disproportionately common among Americans with anxiety especially among those residing in states where cannabis has been legalized. Read

7/9/20--Congressman Doug LaMalfa issued the following statement after he and Rep. Jared Huffman, Rep. Doug Lamborn, Rep. Salud Carbajal, Rep. Hal Rogers, and Rep. TJ Cox introduced the Protecting Lands Against Narcotics Trafficking (PLANT) Act. This legislation provides resources to help local, state, and federal law enforcement eradicate illegal marijuana grows on public lands and establishes a fund to restore land that has been damaged by illegal cultivation activities. Read

7/10/20--The California-based marketer of a supplement called Thrive, which consists mainly of Vitamin C and herbal extracts, is barred from continuing to make baseless claims that it can treat, prevent, or reduce the risk of COVID-19, under an administrative settlement with the Federal Trade Commission announced today. Read

7/10/20--July 10, also known as 710 or Oil Day, is the cannabis industry’s second annual “holiday.” Although not as popular or as well celebrated as 4/20, July 10 has picked up steam in recent years due to the rising popularity of concentrated cannabis products. Read

7/7/20--Last week, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) ruled that a Colorado Cannabidiol (CBD) company could not register a trademark for hemp oil extracts because it violated the Food, Drug & Cosmetics Act (FDCA). Trademark registrations associated with cannabis have repeatedly been refused because they cannot be “lawfully used in commerce." Read

7/5/20--Suspected cases of drug overdoses soared between March and May, according to data from medical teams,hospitals and the police. According to a Washington Post report, the isolation and economic upheaval caused by the pandemic are fueling this hidden epidemic. Heather Long who co-wrote that story joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss. Read

7/7/20--A new textbook, Medical Marijuana: A Clinical Handbook provides an objective look at the history and science of the plant and strips away the cultural and political baggage that often clouds any meaningful examination of cannabis's therapeutic value. The authors, Drs. Samoon Ahmad and Kevin P. Hill, wrote the book to provide clinicians with the most accurate information available on cannabis and empower them to give their patients the best advice on treatment. Read

7/8/20--According to an article published in Rare Lake National News, it is reported that many people who regularly use marijuana may believe that the drug is relatively safe. However, marijuana is a mind-altering substance that can create negative long-term consequences, both bodily and mentally. Furthermore, regular marijuana use can create long-term memory problems, issues with brain development in younger users, and detrimental mental health problems. Read

7/8/20--The Justice Department is examining whether scandal-plagued German payment company Wirecard AG played a critical role in an alleged $100 million bank-fraud conspiracy connected to an online marijuana marketplace, according to people familiar with the investigation. Two businessmen have already been charged in the alleged fraud, accused of conspiring with third-party payment processors and others to trick U.S. banks into approving credit-card payments for marijuana products. Read

7/2/20--Sleep Health: The Journal of The National Sleep Foundation is the latest paper to link prenatal cannabis use to developmental problems in children and the first to suggest it may impact sleep cycles long-term. It comes at a time when—while the number of pregnant women drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes has declined in the United States—It has risen to 7% of all pregnant women as legalization spreads and more dispensaries recommend it for morning sickness. Read

7/2/20--Several drug policy reform campaigns are in the final stretch as deadlines to submit signatures for proposed ballot initiatives loom this week and next. The proposed ballot measures would accomplish everything from legalizing cannabis to decriminalizing psychedelics such as psilocybin and ayahuasca. This article provides a status update on where they stand. Read

7/6/20--The U.S. Forest Service will spend nearly $50,000 to hire a hazardous materials consulting firm to train employees how to safely remove marijuana grown on public lands under a newly awarded government contract. The agency says the training is needed to protect employees, some of whom reportedly have been taken to emergency rooms after being exposed to hazardous chemicals while clearing marijuana plants in years past. Read

7/2/20--The Naval Criminal Investigative Service issued a warning about the drug activity, which they say is largely taking place on the dark web, a difficult-to-regulate portion of the internet accessible only via specific configurations. In a release, NCIS officials said users of illicit substances purchased on the dark web risk their own safety, and asked those with information about the LSD activity to come forward and report. Read

7/2/20--Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. announced today the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase an additional 402,504 shares of common stock in connection with the Company’s previously announced follow-on offering that priced on June 29, 2020. In total, the Company sold 3,085,867 shares of common stock in the offering, raising gross offering proceeds of approximately $258.7 million. Read

7/2/20--Curaleaf Holdings, Inc., a leading multi-state cannabis operator in the United States, announces today a private placement of up to C$27,500,000 of subordinate voting shares of the Company (the "Subordinate Voting Shares") at a price of C$7.70 per Subordinate Voting Share (the "Offering"). The Offering is being conducted in connection with the anticipated closing of the proposed and pending acquisition of GR Companies, Inc. d/b/a ‎Grassroots. Read

7/1/20--Indications of cannabis use are numerous although the indication to relief pain remains a major research interest and clinical application. Studies investigating the effect of herbal cannabis and cannabis-based medicine on neuropathic, non-neuropathic pain, acute pain and experimentally induced pain were reviewed. Cannabis-based medications were found most effective as an adjuvant therapy in refractory multiple sclerosis, and weak evidence was found to support the treatment of cancer pain especially in advanced stages. Read

6/28/20--As more believers begin to tolerate legalization, current and former religious leaders find themselves in the middle of a debate over health, race and law enforcement. Read

6/26/20--In April 2020, during the early COVID-19 pandemic, eight patients hospitalized with e-cigarette, or vaping, product use–associated lung injury (EVALI) were reported to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). According to the report, it is unclear whether EVALI cases have continued to occur and were underreported or missed or whether these cases might represent the background incidence of EVALI as previously identified by CDC review of syndromic data. Read

7/2/20--Deanie Elsner joined Charlotte’s Web as CEO last year. She told Hemp Industry Daily that moving into the CBD market at the helm of Charlotte’s Web has been “fun, challenging and quite and adrenaline rush” and the Colorado-based company has been a good fit for her background of specializing in corporate turnarounds. In this interview with Hemp Industry Daily, Elsner provides insight on the company’s recent acquisition and global expansion plans and offers her take on the impact of COVID-19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory delay and what is needed for the industry to move forward. Read

6/27/20--Advance 360 in collaboration with NJ Cannabis Insider will host a national webinar “Cannabis Reform 2020: America’s Growing Pains & Possibilities” on July 13, featuring heavyweights in the cannabis space to discuss national and regional cannabis policy. Read

6/29/20--According to data provided by the Brightfield Group and published by Hemp Industry Daily, a survey of more than 5,000 CBD users in the U.S. reveals that 24% have used it to help quit smoking and quitters are often replacing cigarettes with either smokable hemp or vaping. And, 41% of quitters have entirely replaced tobacco with hemp CBD. Read

6/29/20--Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) are trying to attach marijuana and CBD research language to a large-scale defense spending bill that’s on the Senate floor this week. The senators are seeking to include the proposal—titled the Cannabidiol and Marijuana Research Expansion Act—in the annual renewal of the National Defense Authorization Act. Read

6/28/20--According to an article by Ben Smith published in The New York Times, the revival of The Washington Post by the executive editor Mr. Baron and its owner, the Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, is perhaps the greatest news business success story of the past decade. But that journalistic revival has in some ways masked a messier story, one of many contradictions. Read

6/30/20--In this study, the relation of cannabis with food and health was examined, and the physical, chemical, textural and sensory effects on the products were examined with the use of this product in the production of different bakery products such as bread, gluten-free bread, and pasta. Read

6/25/20--Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announces a meeting of the MCSAC, which will take place via videoconference. The meeting will be held Monday, July 13, and Tuesday, July 14, 2020, from 9:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time. Read

6/29/20--HBO is partnering up with major marijuana businesses to market a line of promotional cannabis edible gummies meant to bring attention to an animated series premiering next week, the entertainment giant announced on Monday.Each blend was developed to produces effects the network says reflect the personalities of the four main characters from “Close Enough,” which will be streaming on HBO Max. Read

6/25/20--University of Alberta engineering researchers have characterized the potentially hazardous particles in cannabis smoke and have raised awareness about their potential health effects. Read

6/23/20--This webpage gives an overview of tobacco companies’ interests in e-cigarettes, also known as electronic cigarettes or ENDS (Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems), which have been acquired, developed and sold by tobacco companies since 2012. It also links to further pages giving more detailed information about each company’s products, market share and business strategy, including methods used to promote their products around the world. Read

6/19/20--Results of this qualitative story indicate that parents pursue medical cannabis as a treatment for their children's drug-resistant epilepsy because of a perceived unmet need. However, parents encounter barriers in accessing medical cannabis in Canada, and strategies are needed to ensure that children using medical cannabis receive proper care from healthcare professionals with training in epilepsy care, antiepileptic drugs, and medical cannabis. Read

6/25/20--Acreage Holdings, Inc. today reported financial results for the first quarter of 2020. In short, first quarter reported revenue was $24.2 million, an 88% increase compared to the same period in 2019, and a 15% increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. Net loss attributable to Acreage was $172 million, while adjusted net income attributable to Acreage was $14.7 million. Read

6/25/20--Canopy Growth and Acreage Holdings agree to amend plan of arrangement to provide potential additional upside for all shareholders. The amended arrangement provides for up-front cash payment to Acreage shareholders and certain convertible security holders in the aggregate amount of $37,500,000. Read

6/25/20--Marijuana’s increasingly prominent role in American society, and therefore in shaping public policy, raises important questions concerning what Americans really think about marijuana — and in line with these shifting perceptions, how to move forward as a nation with legalization and commercialization. Read

6/24/20--Consumers for Safe CBD founding member, National Consumers League (NCL) today released a white paper that explores the great lengths that some unscrupulous CBD manufacturers are taking to sell unregulated, untested products in the marketplace at the risk of public health. This includes trying to legitimize medical claims by leveraging the reputation of academic medical centers—despite the lack of evidence to support those claims. Read

6/25/20--Actions by states to reduce criminal penalties for marijuana use and possession are fueling momentum for the broader movement to legalize cannabis and have it serve as an economic engine for cash-strapped coffers, industry members and policy experts say. Karen O'Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, expects a record number of states to legalize marijuana in 2021, in part due to the financial pressures, along with the racial injustice imperative to reduce unnecessary police-civilian interactions. Read

7/1/20--Prosecutors allege scheme to disguise $100 million in cannabis product sales in a case that could have implications for industry. Read

6/24/20--Funded by $26.9 million from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a new project announced this month “aims to create new medications to effectively and rapidly treat depression, anxiety, and substance abuse without major side effects,” according to a University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine press release. Read

6/22/20--Since hemp was federally legalized, various military branches have issued guidance, broadly prohibiting active duty members from using products derived from the crop despite the legal status change. But a little-noticed memo is helping to explain the trend. The memo states that regular use of lawful hemp products could result in a positive urinalysis test for THC. Additionally, the FDA does not certify THC concentrations in CBD products that are widely available in the marketplace, it says. Read

6/22/20--The 2 studies evaluating the association of recreational cannabis laws with motor vehicle crash deaths by Santaella-Tenorio et al and Kamer et al in this issue of JAMA Internal Medicine contribute to an emerging body of research necessary to inform policy on cannabis and impaired driving. Both studies use natural experiments in policy implementation to provide a high-level perspective of how legalization of recreational cannabis use may affect motor vehicle crash deaths in the population. Read

6/22/20--Using a synthetic control approach, this ecological study found that recreational cannabis laws were associated with increases in traffic fatalities in Colorado (mean of 75 excess fatalities per year) but not in Washington State. These findings suggest that unintended effects of recreational cannabis laws can be heterogeneous and may be specific to variations in how these laws are implemented (eg, density of recreational cannabis stores). Read

6/22/20--Researchers have not yet conclusively determined if a state’s legalizing recreational marijuana is associated with traffic fatality rates. Two early studies reported no significant change in roadway deaths following legalization in Colorado and Washington, whereas a study including Oregon reported a temporary increase. A more recent study, including 2017 data, found a statistically significant increase in fatal crashes only after commercial stores opened, suggesting that the effect of legalization may take more time to observe. Read

6/22/20--Laws legalizing recreational marijuana may lead to more traffic deaths, two new studies suggest, although questions remain about how they might influence driving habits. Read

6/18/20--Michele Roberts, the Executive Director of the National Basketball Payer's Association, made history earlier this month when she became the first woman and person of color to join the board of marijuana firm Cresco Labs. Roberts, in her role with the NBA, has also been one of the most essential members in setting up the NBA's return this season. Read

6/18/20--Some major cannabis companies in Canada are facing a multi-million dollar proposed class-action lawsuit over allegations the potency of their products is “drastically different” than advertised. The statement of claim filed in Calgary on Tuesday accuses the companies of failing to properly label their products and alleges negligence on their part. Read

06/18/20--Months after the novel coronavirus settled into communities across the country, states have begun to emerge from stay-at-home orders, with some legislatures powering through backlogged bills while others fade into recess. Cannabis Wire contacted public servants, elected officials, and activists from Rhode Island to Arizona to find out where legalization initiatives—for medical and adult use—stand as legislators head home for the summer and election boards prepare for November. Read

6/11/20--Since K.C. Crosthwaite took the helm of the e-cigarette maker nine months ago, Juul has halted most of its U.S. advertising, cut more than 1,500 jobs, stopped selling sweet and fruity flavors in the U.S. and put the brakes on its international expansion. And he doesn’t plan to get the startup back to growth any time soon. Read

6/18/20--Although cannabis product recalls aren’t occurring every day in the industry, they are still a common enough feature that it’s helpful for companies to plan ahead and think through what this unfortunate process might look like. Alex Hearding, chief risk management officer for the National Cannabis Risk Management Association (NCRMA) says that recalls come hand in hand with an industry still forming out of an illicit past. Read

6/10/20--This study provides information about the association of pharmacological and neurobehavioral outcomes with legal market cannabis. Short-term use of concentrates was associated with higher levels of THC exposure. Across forms of cannabis and potencies, users’ domains of verbal memory and proprioception-focused postural stability were primarily associated with THC administration. Read

6/9/20--NORML is asking the head of a federal health agency, who recently acknowledged racial disparities in drug enforcement and the harm that such disparate practices have caused, to go on the record to further admit that this trend in criminalization is more harmful than marijuana itself. While NORML said it’s not arguing that cannabis is harmless, the group maintains that the role of discriminatory cannabis enforcement in systemic racial injustices that are the focus of mass protests across the country cannot be overstated. Read

6/30/20--When parents use drugs such as marijuana, their children may also be affected. Numerous studies have shown that current parental marijuana use increases the children’s risk of substance use and other psychiatric problems. A recent NIDA-sponsored study demonstrates that the parents’ history of marijuana use throughout their lifetime may also affect their children’s outcomes and that some lifetime use patterns are more harmful than others. Read

6/8/20--This report from the Addiction Policy Forum sheds light on the experiences of patients and impacted individuals on emotional and health consequences of COVID-19, overdose rates and barriers in safely accessing care during the pandemic. Supported in part by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Read

6/4/20--Life Essence, Inc., doing business as Trulieve, received unanimous approval for its Adult-Use/Recreational Provisional License from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) to operate as a Tier 9 indoor cultivation and to carry out product manufacturing in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The CCC also awarded Trulieve its Adult-Use/Recreational Provisional License to operate a retail cannabis establishment in Northampton, Massachusetts. Read

6/4/20--Resource Innovation Institute’s (RII), made up of experts in multiple fields and disciplines is hoping to establish water usage and water quality benchmarks for legal cannabis growers, regardless of growing style. The water working group hopes to address this misconception of water usage in cannabis with data and scientific standardization, including coming up with a more accurate method to measure or benchmark a grower’s water usage. Read