Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at cannabis and empathy, CBD and dogs, cannabis and gun ownership, the NFL and cannabis research and more. Enjoy.
Cannabis Corner
We don’t know how you’ll feel about this, but a new study suggests that regular cannabis users may have enhanced empathic abilities, increased emotional comprehension and greater brain connectivity in areas related to empathy.
The folks at Ganjapreneur report that the study, which was conducted by a team of researchers at Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, used psychometric tests to assess the empathy levels of 85 regular cannabis users and compared those results with the test results of 51 non-users.
According to Ganjapreneur, the study also used resting state functional MRI scans to examine brain activity. The scans revealed that cannabis users had increased functional connectivity in the brain region thought to be central to empathy. This area also showed stronger connections with a region of the brain involved in processing and replicating emotional states.
Lead researchers Olalde-Mathieu and Atilano-Barbosa said their findings, “highlight positive effects of cannabis on interpersonal relationships and potential therapeutic applications.”
However, as the folks at Ganjapreneur noted, the researchers cautioned that their findings are not conclusive. Further research is needed to “fully understand the relationship between cannabis use and empathy, acknowledging that other factors might also influence the observed effects.”
The study was published in the November, 2023 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience Research.
If you care to learn more we suggest reading the article in the January 23, 2024 issue of Ganjapreneur.com. Simply click on the link that follows.
www.ganjapreneur.com/study-cannabis-use-may-enhance-empathy/?
CBD and Dogs
There may be helpful news for dog owners whose pets find a trip in the family car to be a stressful experience. A study conducted by a group of researchers at Waltham Petcare Science Institute in the United Kingdom found that giving a dog daily doses of CBD produced “significant reductions” in stress and anxiety related to car travel.
In the study a group of 20 dogs underwent a series of short car journeys during which a range of physiological and behavioral measures were collected pre, during and post-test.
According to the research team, the car journeys elicited stress in this population of dogs, as indicated by significant changes in several stress-related measures, such as changes in serum cortisol (a hormone that aids in stress management), heart rate, whining, lip licking, yawning and other qualitative behavioral ratings. These factors were observed to establish a baseline to test over repeated car travel events.
The researchers found that canines treated with a 4 mg dose of CBD oil two hours before taking the trip showed what they described as “meaningful improvements over a 24-week review period.”
To be clear, some of the dogs that received a placebo also exhibited a reduction in the stress measures, but the reduction was not as dramatic as the reduction measured in the group of canines that received the CBD treatment.
As might be expected, the researchers believe additional research is required to fully understand “the complex effect of CBD on canine emotional wellbeing.”
The study was published in the January 20, 2024 issue of the Journal of Animal Science. To read an abstract of the study, click on the link below.
academic.oup.com/jas/advance article/doi/10.1093/jas/skad414/7582589?
Kyle Jaeger also reported on the study for Marijuana Moment.net. The link that follows will take you to his article.
Guns and Cannabis
The ongoing debate over whether or not those who use cannabis—medical marijuana in particular—should be prohibited from owning a firearm has taken an interesting twist.
Robert Greene, a District Attorney in Warren County, Pa., has partnered with the Second Amendment Foundation to file a federal lawsuit against Attorney General Merrick Garland, the heads of the FBI and ATF, and the U.S. Government, challenging the federal prohibition on gun ownership by medical marijuana users.
Greene, who has served in that office since 2013, currently possesses a medical marijuana ID card issued by the State of Pennsylvania.
According to a release from the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), the lawsuit challenges restrictions contained in 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(3), (d)(3), which prohibit firearms purchases and possession by persons who use marijuana or other controlled substances.
Said Adam Kraut, an attorney who also serves as the SAF executive director, “Medicinal marijuana has been adopted by 38 states despite federal inaction on the issue. With the increasing acceptance of medical cannabis, millions of Americans are forced to choose between the exercise of their Second Amendment rights or treating their symptoms with a substance that disenfranchises them from their constitutionally guaranteed right to keep and bear arms. Such a choice is incompatible with the constitution and finds no basis in this country’s history and tradition. We look forward to vindicating the rights of medical marijuana users.”
Added Kraut, “What I’m hoping is not only to win in our lawsuit, but that it sparks the federal Congress to do something and solve this problem because you have millions of Americans who are disenfranchised from their Second Amendment rights, being forced to choose either between treating their symptoms with medical marijuana or exercising their constitutionally guaranteed right.”
According to an article in the December 29, 2023 issue of the Times Observer newspaper, Greene will not seek a fourth term and will instead shift his focus to advocacy on the issue of marijuana.
Said Greene, “I am a freedom loving, Second Amendment, small government, Republican district attorney from a rural Pa. county and I have a confession to make. I have used cannabis most of my entire life and I recently obtained my Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Card.”
The suit brought by Greene and the SAF is one of several currently challenging the federal prohibition of gun ownership for those who use medical marijuana.
You can learn more by reading the release from the Second Amendment Foundation. Just click on the link that follows.
saf.org/saf-sues-u-s-ag-heads-of-atf-fbi-over-medical-marijuana-2a-ban-2/
You can also learn more by reading the article about Richard Greene that appeared in the Times Observer.
www.timesobserver.com/news/local-news/2023/12/da-to-not-seek-re-election/
CBD, Pain Management and the NFL
There’s news that may score with many mature consumers, particularly those who use CBD to enhance their well being. The National Football League (NFL) has announced it is partnering with Canadian researchers on a clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of CBD for pain management and neuroprotection from concussions.
Both of these are key issues for many football players who experience injuries as part of the game and for consumers who already use CBD to manage inflammation and pain.
According to Kyle Jaeger, reporting for Marijuana Moment, Phase 1 of the trial will involve 35 people who will receive either a placebo or CBD-rich cannabis extract to test whether it’s “safe, well-tolerated and without adverse physiological and psychological dysfunction” when used daily.
For this study, researchers at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada, will aim to identify the “optimal” dose of cannabidiol that can be safely consumed on a daily basis. Participants who receive the CBD will start with five milligrams per kilogram of body weight, and that will be gradually increased to 30 milligrams per kilogram.
In his article, Jaeger points out that the NFL has already committed hundreds of thousands of dollars to research investigating the therapeutic potential of the non-intoxicating cannabinoid. That includes funding for studies on CBD as a potential opioid alternative.
Specifically, in its announcement the NFL states, “This study is designed to investigate anti-inflammatory and neuroprotection of the CBD formulation to determine whether it can be used on a daily basis safely during the periods of intensive exercise (resistance) training during the off-season prior to competition.”
The investigators hypothesize that the CBD formulations will be non-intoxicating (non-psychotropic), safe, well-tolerated and do not cause adverse physiological or psychological dysfunction.
In 2022 the league agreed to fund cannabis trials conducted at the University of California San Diego to assess the therapeutic efficacy and adverse effects of ∆-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and combined THC/CBD for relief of post-competition soft-tissue injury pain in elite athletes.
Jaeger also noted that the NFL and the league’s players union previewed the league’s research funding plan in June 2022, emphasizing the strong interest among players and other stakeholders. The joint NFL-NFLPA committee also held two informational forums on CBD in 2020.
You can learn much more by reading Kyle Jaeger’s article in the January 17, 2024 issue of Marijuana Moment.net. As always his work is clear, concise and on point.
The Shape of Things to Come
There’s good news for mature consumers and others who believe they should be able to use cannabis in a public environment designed for that purpose.
In a move that makes New Jersey part of a national trend, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) unanimously passed a regulatory framework that permits both medical dispensaries and recreational-use retailers to establish on-site consumption spaces.
While these rules may go through some minor revisions, it’s believed that these are the “broad strokes” that will guide the implementation of the lounges —or “consumption areas” as they are referred to in the regulations.
Christine Carr, in a statement for the CRC, wrote that “the proposed regulations are designed to have a positive social impact by promoting public safety and expanding access for people who cannot or don’t want to consume cannabis in their homes.”
For starters, according to Carr, the regulations state that cannabis consumption areas can be either indoors or outdoors.
Operators of indoor consumption areas are required to comply with laws that are applicable to cigar lounges. They must also ensure compliance with the Smoke-Free Air Act.
Outdoor consumption areas need to be at least partially enclosed by barriers, walls, or a fence to prevent any view from the public. Consumption areas need to ensure that smoke/vape does not escape the area into any indoor public place or workplace.
Any licensed dispensary that wants to open a cannabis consumption area must get the approval of both the state and the municipality in which it is located.
Other proposed rules include:
• There must be a 21-plus age requirement with photo identification for entry.
• On-site food sales are prohibited. However, patrons can bring in their own food or have food delivered.
• Similar to the laws prohibiting leaving a restaurant with an open container of alcohol, consumers will not be allowed to leave a consumption area with unconsumed open packages of cannabis. If the packaging is not resealable the consumption area must provide take-home containers that comply with all packing requirements.
• The sale of tobacco products and alcohol will be prohibited in cannabis consumption areas.
• Any product sold by the dispensary can be freely used or consumed in the consumption areas. However, only medical patients can bring and consume legal medical cannabis they acquired elsewhere.
The CRC has also made it clear that, “it is every cannabis consumer’s responsibility to use cannabis safely, responsibly, and within the confines of the law.”
To learn more about the proposed regulations, we urge you to read the statement from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission. Simply click on the link below.
www.nj.gov/cannabis/highpoints/20230213.shtml
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.
