Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at what the public thinks about cannabis, medical cannabis and insurance premiums, a guide to edibles and dosing and more. Enjoy.
Cannabis, Cigarettes and Public Opinion
Several findings from a recent Gallup Poll provide insights on the current status of the public’s opinions when it comes to cannabis.
That’s the word from Kyle Jaeger, writing for Marijuana Moment. According to Jaeger, the survey found that half of Americans who participated in the survey—(50 percent)—said they have tried marijuana at some time. That’s a new high point for this behavior which, according to the folks at Gallup, has been inching up over the past quarter century.
At the same time about one in six U.S. adults (17 percent) say that they currently smoke cannabis. This follows a separate recent Gallup finding that just 11 percent of those polled said they smoke cigarettes.
In his article, Jaeger makes the point that the question that asked specifically about whether or not people “smoke” cannabis might not reflect the overall percentage of current cannabis use given the range of non-smokable products that people consume such as edibles, tinctures and vapes.
For example, he points to a 2019 study published by the American Medical Association that found other consumers report primarily using edibles (nine percent), vapes (nine percent) and concentrates (three percent) and drinks (0.4 percent).
However, wrote Jaeger, “when it comes to smoking, it’s become clear that Americans are increasingly opting for marijuana over cigarettes.”
Jaeger also noted that the survey’s findings on whether or not an individual has used cannabis at some point in his or her life was relatively consistent across age groups: 8-34 (49 percent), 35-54 (51 percent) and 55+ (47 percent). College graduates and non-graduates are both at 49 percent.
Men are slightly more likely to have experimented with cannabis (54 percent) compared to women (44 percent).
Jaeger also reported that Gallup found that party affiliation matters when it comes to cannabis, with Democrats the most likely to have tried marijuana (57 percent), followed by independents (52 percent) and Republicans (39 percent). Democrats, according to the poll, are also nearly twice as likely (21 percent) to report active cannabis smoking compared to Republicans (12 percent).
In a separate article, Jaeger reported on a new study published by the American Medical Association (AMA) that found “people increasingly view smoking marijuana or being exposed to secondhand cannabis smoke as safer than smoking or being near tobacco smoke.”
According to Jaeger, researchers surveyed 5,035 U.S. adults three times—in 2017, 2020 and 2021—about how they perceive the risks of daily exposure to both cannabis and tobacco, and they found what they described as a “significant shift” over time as more people expressed that they felt cannabis smoke was generally safer than tobacco smoke.
To learn more, we encourage you to read Kyle Jaeger’s article in the August 10, 2023 issue of Marijuana Moment.net. As always, his reporting is concise and on point.
To learn more about how people perceive the comparative risks of daily exposure to tobacco and cannabis, we urge you to read Kyle Jaeger’s article in the August 12, 2023 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
To read the study itself, just click on the link below.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2808206
Insurance News and Notes
Researchers may have unearthed an unexpected benefit to legalizing medical marijuana—lower health insurance premiums.
A new study that was published in the International Journal of Drug Policy found that states with legal medical marijuana enjoyed significant reductions in health insurance premiums in the individual market compared to states where cannabis remained completely illegal.
The research team, consisting of individuals from the Department of Economics at Bowling Green State University, the Department of Finance, Insurance and Law at Illinois State University and the Department of Economics at Eastern Michigan Green State University used 2010–2021 state-level U.S. private health insurer financial data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to examine changes to individual market health insurance premiums after the implementation of medical cannabis laws.
The researchers found that seven years after a state implements laws legalizing medical cannabis, health insurer premiums in the individual market were lower.
More specifically, at a point seven years after the implementation of a medical marijuana program, the team found a reduction of $-1662.7 in premiums in states that had implemented medical cannabis laws, followed by a reduction of -$1541.8 in year 8, and a further reduction of $-1625.8 in year 9.
Said the research team in the article that described their work, “As healthcare costs continue to rise, our findings suggest that households that obtain their health insurance on the individual market (as opposed to employer-sponsored programs) in states with medical cannabis laws appreciate significantly lower premiums.”
Their conclusion was that the implementation of medical cannabis laws lowers individual-market health insurance premiums.
To be fair, their work did not identify a particular mechanism or factors that would move their findings from correlation to causation.
Still, with health insurance spending, including premiums, making up between 16 percent and 34 percent of household budgets in the United States, lower health insurance premiums are nothing to sneeze at, as it were. Perhaps the team will implement a second study to identify the “why.”
To learn more, we suggest reading an abstract of the study that appeared in the September, 2023 issue of the International Journal of Drug Policy. Simply click on the link that follows.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955395923001901?via%3Dihub
Cannabis Corner
There may be hopeful news for those who suffer from anxiety or post traumatic stress. The results of an observational study conducted by a team of Australian investigators affiliated with The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia indicate that individuals diagnosed with those conditions respond favorably to medical cannabis treatment, particularly when it comes to quality of life indicators.
The study was designed to assess the safety and effectiveness of oral cannabinoid formulations —either in tinctures or capsule form—containing various ratios of THC and CBD in 198 patients with anxiety disorders. The median doses consumed by study participants were 50.0 mg/day for CBD and 4.4 mg/day for THC.
Said the researchers, “The total participant sample reported significantly improved anxiety, depression, fatigue, and ability to take part in social roles and activities.”
The researchers also reported that subjects diagnosed specifically with post-traumatic stress exhibited, “improved anxiety, depression, fatigue, and social abilities,” with CBD-dominant formulations exhibiting the greatest effectiveness for the study participants.
Dry mouth, a strong desire for sleep or sleeping for unusually long periods of time and fatigue were the most common adverse events reported by participants.
The authors also noted that the findings of the study are consistent with those of recent observational studies from the United Kingdom which similarly showed that cannabis therapy was safe and effective for patients with generalized anxiety and post-traumatic stress.
The study appeared in the June 24, 2023 issue of the Journal of Pharmacy Technology. To read an abstract of the study, simply click on the link that follows.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/87551225231180796
A synopsis of the study also appeared in the August 10, 2023 issue of the online publication NORML.org. To read the synopsis, click on the link that follows.
Spotlight on Edibles
A growing number of cannabis consumers now say edibles are their preferred method of consumption.
For many, it’s a matter of convenience. From gummies to brownies, from beverages to savory snacks, numerous edible forms of cannabis are now available commercially.
Unfortunately, while edibles have grown in popularity, dosing—deciding just how much is enough to take and knowing what to expect from the experience—remains for many a hit or miss or miss proposition.
To help, Cara Wietstock, reporting for the online publication Greenstate, has written a guide to using edibles that include some guidelines on dosing.
Said Wietstock, “Knowing how much cannabis to eat is essential. The side effects of being exceptionally high can be uncomfortable and upsetting. An edible usually raises those stakes. An edible high can be more intense and longer lasting than inhaling or even dabbing. So start slow when it comes to eating weed.”
She also notes that while different commercial brands, products, and states will have their own methods for dosing and educating consumers, “most edibles will be split into an amount based on state regulations, generally 10 milligrams (mg) or 5mg pieces.”
For example, she points out, “a 100mg bar of chocolate will be perforated into 10 mg squares and drinks will often come with a little cup to show how much liquid equates to the state-recommended dose.”
To move the conversation beyond just numbers, Wietstock has created an edible dosing chart to provide consumers with some context and what to expect from different doses.
Here is her chart:
Microdose // 1 – 2.5 mg
This is a great place to start. Most people will feel little to no effect. Some who use cannabis medicinally during the day find this to be a sweet spot.
Low dose // 3-5 mg
Some still won’t feel this dose, but it can also affect those with a low tolerance. This is a good option for people with some experience with cannabis.
Moderate dose // 5-15 mg
Regular cannabis consumers may consider this the perfect dose, but certain circumstances (like an empty stomach) can make this dose feel more intense.
Large dose // 20-30 mg
Fewer people need this dose compared to the moderate option, and eating this much cannabis can result in an uncomfortable experience. However, people with a very high tolerance or deep medical need could require this amount.
Macro dose // 30+ mg
Taking a macro dose is not recommended for the majority of people. Those who eat more than 30mg on purpose should have high THC tolerances and know exactly what they’re doing.
While not the last word on edibles and dosing, Wietstock’s entertaining and informative article is a valuable resource. She also covers topics such as breaking down the ratio between THC and CBD, the role played by a person’s metabolism and how long the experience will last. We highly recommend it.
Cara Wietstock’s article, “Edibles dosing – how to eat weed,” appears in the August 10, 2023 issue of Greenstate.com.
www.greenstate.com/explained/edibles-dosing/
Legal Matters: Cannabis and Guns
Mature consumers who use cannabis legally but are prohibited from owning firearms because they use a substance that’s still illegal at the federal level recently received news that lies somewhere between promising and unresolved.
According to Graham Abbott, reporting for the online publication Ganjapreneur, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently ruled that the federal ban on cannabis consumers owning firearms is unconstitutional.
The ruling marked the latest in a string of what Abbott characterized as victories for advocates seeking to normalize gun ownership laws for cannabis consumers.
Abbott noted that district courts have also ruled that the ban on cannabis consumers owning guns violates the Second Amendment but, said Abbott, “the Fifth Circuit is the most powerful court yet to reach the decision.”
According to Abbott, legal arguments for ending the ban on firearms for cannabis users are generally based on a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that found restrictions on firearms must be consistent with the historical context of the Second Amendment.
U.S. Circuit Judge Jerry Smith acknowledged in his opinion that U.S. drug laws have historically “regulated the combination of guns and intoxicating substances.”
However, he then went on to make the point that, “at no point in the 18th or 19th century did the government disarm individuals who used drugs or alcohol at one time from possessing guns at another.”
Moreover, he noted, “In short, our history and tradition may support some limits on an intoxicated person’s right to carry a weapon, but it does not justify disarming a sober citizen based exclusively on his past drug usage.”
However, those who support this ruling may want to hold off on celebrating just yet. Abbott reports in his article that the Justice Department informed a federal appeals court that it believes a separate court’s recent ruling that the federal ban on cannabis consumers owning or possessing firearms is unconstitutional was “incorrectly decided.”
The DOJ, wrote Abbott, shared its opinion with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit while preparing for another lawsuit related to the gun ban for cannabis consumers.
The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit followed hot on the heels of a law recently enacted in Arkansas that made it legal for medical marijuana cardholders and caregivers to acquire a concealed carry license.
Wherever you stand on the issue, feel free to exhale. The controversy is far from resolved and, say some, may eventually find its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Stay tuned.
To learn more, we urge you to read Graham Abbott’s detailed and insightful article in the August 15, 2023 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
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.
