Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at industry predictions for 2024, cannabis and exercise, cannabis politics in Ohio and more. Enjoy.
Cannabis in the New Year
Everybody loves a list, particularly when it’s a list of predictions for the coming year. So, as 2023 was drawing to a close the folks at Leafly asked their senior editor David Downs and Great Moments in Weed History podcast host David Bienenstock to put together a list of the developments they expect to see in the cannabis sector in 2024.
Here are a few that are most likely to have an impact on consumers.
• While they don’t expect legalization to become a reality at the federal level, they do foresee marijuana moving to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act in time for the election. They think the administration is keeping that in its pocket as a way to attract young Democrat voters.
• Whether it’s Las Vegas, West Hollywood, the tribal lands of Buffalo, NY or down the block from where you live, they predict 2024 will see hundreds of new dispensaries opening up across the country and an increase in delivery options in more places and more pickup services.
• They also expect to see more public events celebrating all things cannabis—particularly since April 20th (4/20) lands on a Saturday in 2024.
• They predict 2024 will see the beginning of what they call The Ugly Weed movement. That’s their term for cannabis that tastes great but does not look so perfect. They also think there will be increased interest in the Under 20 percent THC movement (cannabis with a THC content of less than 20 percent) and what they call the “Weird Terps” movement. This will involve exploring the effects of some of the lesser known terpenes.
• Downs and Bienenstock also expect the market for cannabis seeds to expand—a particular concern of those who grow their own— and for live rosin to keep gaining market share in 2024.
• They’re also predicting more research into how flavorants, esters, and other non-terpenes affect the aroma of cannabis and other aspects of the consumption experience.
To learn more, we encourage you to read David Downs’s entertaining and informative article in the December 20, 2023 issue of Leafly.com.
www.leafly.com/news/industry/30-weed-predictions-2024-leafly?
Cannabis Predictions, Part II
While we are mining the prediction beat we would be remiss if we didn’t include what Kate Robertson, writing for MJBizDaily, says are trends industry experts expect to emerge in 2024.
For starters, while consumers are still searching for high-THC products, Robertson reports that industry experts say consumers are becoming increasingly interested in:
- The terpene profiles of cannabis products.
- Legacy strains bred with high-THC marijuana cultivars.
- Minor cannabinoids such as THCV and CBN.
For example, Shai Ramsahai, the president of Barcelona, Spain-based Royal Queen Seeds, told Robertson that while high THC is at the top of the list of important strain characteristics, “We also found that U.S. consumers consider terpenes, and limonene and myrcene were the top two they were looking for.”
Terpenes are aromatic compounds that determine the scent and flavor of various strains of cannabis. Increasingly, it’s also believed they contribute to the experience of consuming cannabis as part of what is known as the “entourage effect.”
Robertson also reports that Jaclyn Moore, co-founder and CEO of Hawaii-headquartered Big Island Grown—a vertically integrated cannabis operator that focuses on terpene diversity and cannabinoids in its nursery—hopes consumers will embrace so-called “cheesy” strains, or cultivars containing terpinolene, ocimene and myrcene, which Moore said are “grossly underrated” terpenes.
In addition, Robertson noted that consumers are increasingly interested in minor cannabinoids – or cannabinoids that aren’t strictly THC or CBD, such as CBN and THCV.
She points to a company called Curio Wellness which reports that it has learned from patient trials that THCV is particularly helpful for consumers who want to feel focused and energized. Curio already sells ingestible THCV tablets.
Jason Vedadi, founder and CEO of Arizona-based Story Cannabis Co. told Robertson that CBN also is growing in popularity because of its potential as a sleep aid. Said Vedadi, “The one that seems to resonate the most, where you’re seeing the category grow, is CBN.”
To learn more, we urge you to read Kate Robertson’s clear and concise reporting in the January 5, 2024 issue of MJBizDail.com. As always, her work is interesting and on point .
mjbizdaily.com/cannabis-genetics-trends-to-extend-beyond-high-thc-potency-in-2024/?
Cannabis and Exercise
In a new take on the term “runners high,” a study that recently appeared in the journal Sports Medicine found that using cannabis before exercise can boost mood and enjoyment.
According to staff writers who covered the story for Ganjapreneur, the study was conducted by researchers Laurel P. Gibson, Angela D. Bryan and several other researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Center for Health and Addiction: Neuroscience, Genes and Environment.
The objective of the study was to shed light on the relationship between cannabis use and exercise, potentially changing the narrative that using cannabis promotes a sedentary lifestyle.
The Ganjapreneur staff writers noted that the study participants, all regular cannabis users, reported a more positive experience, increased enjoyment, and heightened “runner’s high” symptoms during their cannabis-influenced exercise sessions compared to non-cannabis sessions.
According to an article that appeared in the publication Neuroscience News.com, lead research author Laurel Gibson said, “The bottom-line finding is that cannabis before exercise seems to increase positive mood and enjoyment during exercise, whether you use THC or CBD. But THC products specifically may make exercise feel more effortful.”
Neuroscience News.com also reported that when researchers asked study participants why they use cannabis prior to working out, here’s how they responded:
90.5 percent said using cannabis increases enjoyment
69 percent said it decreases pain
59.5 percent said it increases focus
57.1 percent said it increases motivation
45.2 percent said using cannabis makes time go by faster
28.6 percent said using cannabis improves performance
However, it should be noted the study did not find cannabis to be performance-enhancing in a way that might give competitive athletes an unfair advantage.
To learn more we suggest reading the article that appeared in the January 5, 2024 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
www.ganjapreneur.com/scientific-study-finds-cannabis-makes-exercise-more-enjoyable/?
We also suggest reading the article that appeared in the January 6, 2024 issue of Neuroscience News.com.
neurosciencenews.com/exercise-cannabis-mood-25429/
Cannabis and Politics
When it comes to cannabis policy, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is the master of giving with one hand and taking away with the other.
First he was against legalizing recreational cannabis, then when the political winds changed, he decided he was for it.
Now that recreational cannabis is legal in Ohio, Gov. DeWine has called on lawmakers to ban products closely related to marijuana, but unregulated for years in the state of Ohio. Those are products made from hemp—cannabis plants that contain less than 0.3 percent THC.
According to Aaron Burd, who covered the story for television station NBC4i in Columbus, Ohio, intoxicating hemp refers to inhalable or ingestible consumer goods that have a high-inducing active ingredient derived or processed from hemp.
The most commonly available of these hemp products contain cannabinoids named Delta-8 THC and Delta-10 THC. These hemp cannabinoids are variants of Delta-9 THC, which is the primary intoxicating chemical in regulated marijuana. Due to containing less than 0.3 percent THC, these products are legal, but can cause a high similar to those caused by legal marijuana.
Said DeWine, “I can take you, if you drive from here to the governor’s residence, we can take you to a place right there where kids, 12, 13, 14, any age can walk in and buy it.”
Burd noted that the governor emphasized that in order to protect children, he believes action should be taken to “take aim at intoxicating hemp.”
Said Dewine, “If we want to talk about protecting kids, dealing with intoxicating hemp is something we need to deal with.”
We guess if DeWine can’t ban marijuana, this is the next best thing.
To learn more, we suggest reading the article by Aaron Burd that appeared on the NBC4i website on January 5, 2024. Simply click on the link below.
Cannabis and Cancer Treatment
While it’s common for individuals undergoing treatment for cancer to report they experience depression, appetite, pain, lack of sleep and stress, there may be some hopeful news.
The majority of cancer survivors who participated in a recent study said that using cannabis helped them to manage those conditions.
So says Ben Adlin, reporting for Marijuana Moment. According to Adlin, a study by a team of researchers at the University of Texas’s MD Anderson Cancer, found that nearly half of those participating in the study either currently or previously used cannabis, with most of those who used marijuana after their diagnoses reporting that it was to manage symptoms such as sleep disturbances and pain.
About a fifth of cancer survivors, the researchers found, “currently use cannabis for symptomatic relief while undergoing active cancer treatment.”
In his article, Adlin noted that, “Among those using it to treat nausea, for example, 73.6 percent said it was effective “to a great extent,” with another 24.4 percent saying it was “somewhat” effective. Only 1.9 percent said it had “very little” efficacy, and virtually none said it was “not at all” effective.
He added that similar findings occurred around depression, appetite, pain, sleep stress and coping with illness generally. In each instance, more than half of respondents said cannabis was helpful “to a great extent,” while between half and a quarter said it was “somewhat” effective. Small fractions, at most around 5 percent, reported “very little” benefit or none at all.
However, the research team did point out that only a few individuals in the study indicated that they were aware of potential health risks of cannabis use during cancer management, such as breathing problems or possible interactions with cancer drugs.
Said the researchers in an article published in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship, “With most survivors reporting benefits from cannabis use in cancer management, there is a need for more studies to strengthen current evidence on cannabis therapeutics. Also, there is a need for policies, clear guidelines, and cannabis-based educational programs for healthcare providers and survivors on the use, benefits, and risks of cannabis in cancer management.”
To learn more, we suggest reading the article by Ben Adlin that appeared in the January 4, 2024 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
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.
