Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at using cannabis to treat insomnia, the antibiotic properties of CBD, a firefighter who went to court to use medical cannabis and more. Enjoy—and Happy New Year.
Cannabis and Insomnia
There’s hopeful news for adults who suffer from insomnia. It’s estimated that nearly 30 percent of the population experiences insomnia or reports that they have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.
A new study that appeared in the Journal of Sleep Research suggests that medical cannabis can improve sleep in adults who report the condition.
Researchers at the National Institute of Integrative Medicine (NIIM) in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, conducted what they described as a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study involving 29 participants with self-reported clinical insomnia.
Participants received either a placebo or a cannabis oil that contained a mixture of THC and CBD, as well as other cannabinoids and terpenes. The researchers found that “the medicinal cannabis oil was generally well tolerated, with half of the participants tolerating the prescribed maximum dose of 15 mg THC/22.5 mg CBD, while 20 percent reported benefits without side-effects on a lower dose of 4–6 mg THC/6–9 mg CBD.”
The researchers concluded that medicinal cannabis oil, containing THC:CBD (10 mg:15 mg) and lesser amounts of other cannabinoids and naturally occurring terpenes can be effective in significantly improving sleep quality and duration, as well as quality of life, and mood. They also believe that “long-term studies are needed to assess whether chronic medicinal cannabis intake can restore natural circadian rhythm without the need for ongoing cannabis intake.”
To learn more, you can read the article that described the study. It appeared in the December 20, 2022 issue of the Journal of Sleep Research. Simply click on the link that follows.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsr.1379
CBD Spotlight
A new study suggests CBD has benefits that go beyond easing aches and pains and helping to manage stress. There is increasing evidence that it may have antibiotic properties as well.
According to Anthony Martinelli, reporting for an online publication called The Marijuana Herald, a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Microorganisms has found that low-doses of CBD inhibits the growth of Salmonella Typhimurium.
Martinelli writes that Salmonella Typhimurium is one of the most common and prevalent foodborne pathogens worldwide. A primary cause of gastroenteritis, it can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal cramps. The effects of the pathogen are experienced by up to 1.3 million people each year, causing over 400 deaths annually in the U.S. Experts estimate the infection results in hospitalization, on average, for 26,500 individuals a year.
The study was conducted by researchers at the Microbiology Program in the Department of Biological Sciences in College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (C-STEM) at Alabama State University and the Industrial Hemp Program, in the Department of Biological Sciences at the same school.
In the journal article, the research team said it “utilized fluorescence microscopy, biological assays, and bacterial growth kinetics to determine the effectiveness of CBD-broad-spectrum antibiotic co-therapy against S. typhimurium.”
Martinelli notes that the researchers concluded, “In this study, it is revealed that S. typhimurium growth is inhibited at very low dosages of CBD-antibiotic. This interesting finding demonstrates that CBD and CBD-antibiotic co-therapies are viable novel alternatives to combating S. typhimurium.”
They also held the opinion that when compared to a treatment regimen based on ampicillin, kanamycin or polymyxin alone, “it was observed that an addition of CBD resulted in a greater inhibition of S. typhimurium growth.”
To learn more, we suggest reading Anthony Martinelli’s article in the December 25, 2022 issue of The Marijuana Herald.com.
Thanks to the ever vigilant Dave Ruth for sending the story our way.
Cannabis and the Workplace
Recently, there was good news for a Buffalo, New York firefighter who lost his job for using doctor-recommended medical cannabis.
Scott Martin — a Buffalo, New York Emergency Medical Technician who was fired following the discovery of his medical cannabis use — was reinstated to his position after winning a lawsuit against the City of Buffalo and the Buffalo Fire Department.
That’s the word from Graham Abbott, writing for Ganjapreneur. According to Abbott, Martin, who is an Air Force veteran, was fired from what he described as his “dream job” on December 22, 2020, over his legal use of medical cannabis. He had worked as an EMT specialist for the Buffalo Fire Department for nearly twelve years.
Abbott noted that it took two years for Martin and the City of Buffalo to reach a settlement in the case which will see Martin immediately reinstated to the same rank, seniority, salary, and benefits he held before his firing.
According to New York state law, registered medical cannabis patients cannot be discriminated against or disciplined for lawful cannabis use.
Martin’s attorney, David C. Holland, called the rights of medical cannabis patients in the workplace, “a cutting-edge legal issue.” Said Holland, “This was a case of first impression. It involved the proper balancing of the rights of the parties to a collective bargaining agreement (employers, employees, and unions) when it comes to medically prescribed marijuana. The parties’ agreement to Martin’s reinstatement and the recognition of his rights under the Compassionate Care Act is a reasonable resolution to this dispute.”
Clearly, there are times when having a “note from your doctor” is not sufficient. Those who are being treated with medical marijuana would be wise to learn about all possible restrictions on their treatment and employment, whether they are imposed by their employer, their union or state law.
To learn more, we suggest reading Graham Abbott’s article in the December 23, 2022 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
www.ganjapreneur.com/new-york-firefighter-wins-lawsuit-over-medical-cannabis-related-firing/?
Cannabis News and Notes
Speaking of having a “note from your doctor,” you can forget what the song says. Everything isn’t up to date in Kansas City—particularly when it comes to medical marijuana.
That’s the word from Yaron Steinbuch, writing for the New York Post. He reports that police in Kansas raided a terminally ill cancer patient’s hospital room after receiving word that the patient was using a cannabis vape and THC paste — even though his doctor gave him permission to do “whatever he wants,” to ease his extremely painful symptoms.
According to Dion Lefler, who covered the story in an op-ed for the Kansas City Star, the patient, Greg Bretz, age 69, is in the final stages of inoperable cancer. He had been vaping, as well as eating THC paste, to relieve his pain since he was admitted to Hays Medical Center.
The Kansas City Star reported that a hospital worker caught Bretz using the products and reported him to authorities, who raided his room. The police told him the vaping device posed a fire hazard, and seized it as well as his THC paste. They then, according to the report, cited him for drug possession.
Bretz said he would try to postpone his Jan. 2 court hearing.
In case you haven’t already connected the dots, Kansas is one of three states, including Nebraska and Idaho, where medical marijuana is banned.
To be fair, and we hate being fair, until recently even cannabis-friendly California would have prohibited the use of cannabis products in a hospital setting, even at the direction of a doctor.
However, citing a terminally ill, bed-ridden man with drug possession when he believed he was following the suggestion of his doctor underscores the fact that cannabis laws aren’t the same everywhere. Welcome to Kansas—and have a happy holiday.
Thanks to Nick Ignacio for making sure we didn’t miss this.
To learn more, we urge you to read Yaron Steinbuch’s article in the December 26, 2022 issue of the New York Post.com.
nypost.com/2022/12/26/kansas-cops-raid-patients-hospital-room-to-seize-weed-thc/
You can also read Dion Lefler’s op-ed that appeared in the December 27, 2022 issue of the Kansas City Star.com.
www.kansascity.com/opinion/article270381287.html
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com and at 347-5288753.
