Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at the potential benefits of transdermal patches as a cannabis delivery system, the use of cannabis to manage cancer-related pain, a podcast that tracks cannabis industry trends and more. Enjoy.
Consumer News and Notes
Before too long, many mature consumers may find cannabis is getting under their skin—and we mean that in a nice way. That’s because a growing number of consumers and producers are interested in the potential of transdermal patches as a cannabis delivery system.
Jessica Reilly, reporting for The Cannigma, notes transdermal patches can offer a number of benefits to those who use cannabis—patches are discreet, their effects are long lasting and they are easy to use, all of which can make them an effective alternative to smoking cannabis or consuming it orally.
According to Reilly, transdermal cannabis patches work much like birth control or nicotine patches and can be made to deliver any cannabinoid, including THC, CBD, CBG, or CBN. They can also contain other ingredients, such as terpenes, which may enhance effects and potentially, improve the delivery of cannabinoids through the skin.
She makes the point that the effects of THC patches in particular usually last 6 to 12 hours and generally present a very low risk of adverse reactions due to their slow and steady method of delivery.
Reilly also notes that, even though such patches are placed on the skin, topical products and transdermal patches aren’t the same thing. Topical products are designed to be applied directly to a problem area of the body for short term relief. Another difference is that topicals are not designed to move the cannabinoids through multiple layers of skin and into the bloodstream the way patches can.
If you are curious about whether or not transdermal patches may be right for you, Reilly offers the following checklist. She contends you may benefit from cannabis patches if:
• You need long-lasting pain relief. Patches tend to work well for relieving stiffness, soreness, or muscle aches.
• You suffer from nausea/vomiting. It is well established that THC can provide relief from nausea. Since patches are not consumed orally, they can be particularly useful for those who are unable to keep food down.
• You find it difficult to swallow pills or oils. Delivering cannabinoids through a patch bypasses the need to swallow various forms of cannabis.
• Edibles don’t work for you and smoking is not an option. In these cases, cannabis patches may be an effective alternative.
To learn more, we urge you to read Jessica Reilly’s informative and insightful reporting in the June 20, 2022 issue of The Cannigma.com.
cannigma.com/delivery/thc-transdermal-patches/?
Cannabis and Pain Management
There may be hopeful news for those who are seeking effective ways to manage cancer-related pain. A study published in JCO Oncology Practice, a journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, found that cannabis may play an important role in symptom management for those with cancer and may contribute to an improved quality of life.
Key findings of the clinical review include:
— “According to a large, longitudinal study done by the American Cancer Society, pain was among the top three symptoms contributing the greatest negative impact to patients’ quality of life.”
— “Recent surveys report that between 25 percent and 40 percent of patients with cancer use cannabis in any form, from a state-regulated dispensary or obtained from illicit sources, and among those, a large majority report using it to manage symptoms such as pain or anxiety.”
—A potential benefit of using cannabis by inhalation—either by smoking or by vaping— is both the rapid onset of action—which is helpful when nausea is a prominent symptom—and the ability to easily titrate or calculate the amount consumed, making overconsumption less likely.
— Topical administration of cannabis—in the form of lotions, salves, oils, and patches—potentially allows a steady infusion of a drug to be delivered over a prolonged period of time. The researchers expressed the opinion that topical administration is potentially ideal for localized symptoms, such as those found in dermatologic conditions and arthritis.
— The authors suggested that those who are new to using cannabis to manage symptoms should start with low dose, non-inhaled products, possibly with higher CBD component or a CBD:THC ratio of 1 to 1, with slow increases of THC as indicated by their pain and how well they tolerated the cannabis product.
— The healthcare provider and patient should work together to develop a mutually agreeable plan for cannabis use, if appropriate.
The article was published in the online edition of JCO Oncology Practice on June 24, 2022.
You can learn much more about the study and the findings of the research team by clicking on the link that follows.
ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/OP.22.00080
Cannabis Quote of the Week
“There is evidence to suggest that, in cases of certain chronic pain, cannabis can be efficacious.”—Dr. Rahul Gupta.
While not exactly a sweeping endorsement of cannabis, in its many forms, what makes the comment newsworthy is that Dr. Gupta is the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
His comment came while he was fielding a series of cannabis-related questions during an appearance before the House Oversight and Reform Committee.
According to Kyle Jaeger, reporting for Marijuana Moment, Dr. Gupta was responding to a question from Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who asked the official to comment on the seeming “contradiction” that marijuana remains a federally banned substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) despite what Khanna characterized as “growing evidence that the plant’s constituents can treat chronic pain in a way that is safer than opioids that are less strictly regulated.”
When Khanna asked the director to privately urge the president to take certain steps administratively to loosen research barriers for cannabis, Jaeger reported that Gupta said simply that “it is the foundation for so many ways to proceed forward, including our current strategy, to follow science, follow data—and I can commit to you that we’re going to continue to do that.”
Jaeger also noted that in an earlier interview with Financial Times, Gupta said that the government is “learning from those states [that have enacted cannabis reform]” and “monitoring the data and trying to see where things go. But one thing is very clear, and the president has been clear about that—the policies that we’ve had around marijuana have not been working.”
To learn more, we suggest reading Kyle Jaeger’s excellent article in the June 27, 2022 issue of Marijuana Moment.com.
Stats of the Week
This week’s magic numbers are 58 percent and 81 percent. Both numbers come from a nationwide study of over 2,000 U.S. adults commissioned by SICPA—a provider of product security solutions for the cannabis industry—and conducted online by The Harris Poll. The study hoped to gain some insight into what is important to consumers when they choose to use cannabis and what they believe to be true about the safety of the products they consume.
The first number (58 percent) refers to the percentage of individuals who said they are “overwhelmed” by the variety of choices available to them when it comes to cannabis products. The second number (81 percent) reflects the percentage of individuals who said if they were to consume cannabis products, they would like full information about the product provided to them. At the same time, 58 percent of respondents said they don’t know how to determine which cannabis products are worth consuming and which are not.
When it comes to product safety and testing, 80 percent of cannabis users said it is important to them to be able to verify the safety of a cannabis product before using it and 83 percent said they support requiring cannabis retailers to validate that their products have been legitimately tested for safety and potency through verified certificates.
Said Karen Gardner, Chief Marketing Officer, SICPA US., “Our new survey shows Americans are wholly misinformed about the lack of basic safety and quality protections for cannabis products in many states. Even cannabis consumers themselves aren’t aware that in states where products are legal, there are no uniform standards, leaving lots of room for unsafe, poor-quality products on the market.”
As Kaitlin Domangue noted when she reported on the survey for Workweek, testing regulations vary from state to state. That may be, she contends, one of the reasons 4 out of 5 Americans overall—and cannabis consumers in particular—support setting federal standards for cannabis product safety and quality and environmental protections that the cannabis industry must follow.
This desire for safe products on the part of consumers also, she points out, reinforces the need for consumer education. Said Domangue, “Education empowers consumers to make smarter purchasing decisions.”
To learn more, we suggest you read the article by Kaitlin Domangue in the June 26, 2022 issue of Workweek.com.
workweek.com/2022/06/26/we-want-safe-weed-and-consumers-think-we-already-have-it/?
To view a synopsis of the poll findings, simply click on the link that follows.
www.sicpa.com/news/cannabis-users-want-full-information-and-verification-product-safety
Cannabis Corner: Lifelong Learning
There’s good news for mature consumers who would like to learn more about industry trends, new products and how the cannabis industry operates in different parts of North America—without having to leave the comfort of home.
A Seattle-based cannabis events and media company has announced the return of its annual podcast and product review series that highlights cannabis businesses, entrepreneurs, and products in legal markets throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
According to Graham Abbott, writing for Ganjapreneur, the company—Respect My Region—has disclosed that this year’s edition of the podcast, called North American Weed Tour, will take place from July 10 to December 15, 2022, and is set to include 250 podcast episodes and Instagram Live Streams featuring legal cannabis products and the manufacturers, cultivators, and retailers behind them, as well as the technology firms and other ancillary services working behind-the-scenes in the cannabis industry.
The podcast production team is also planning to launch several regional podcast tours, such as the Canadian Cannabis Podcast, Northeast Cannabis Podcast, and the Midwest Cannabis Podcast.
Said company co-owner, Joseph Brabo, “This year, we’ve added 420 University, an educational series with Betty Krocker Bakes and myself, the Legacy Cannabis Podcast hosted by Adam Ill, and the Gas or Trash Instagram Live Stream and Podcast series hosted by Mistah Cannabis.”
Branfalt noted that company CEO Mitch Pfeifer said that the new tour enables the company to further magnify “the stories of new brands and businesses across North America,” and that the company has crafted this year’s tour “to have a greater impact on cannabis brands in emerging markets while also amplifying the success of industry leaders and innovators.”
The podcast is available on a number of podcast services, including Podbean and Audible.
To learn more, we suggest you read Graham Abbott’s article in the June 21, 2022 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
www.ganjapreneur.com/respect-my-region-launches-2nd-annual-north-american-weed-tour/?
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com and at 347-528-8753.
