Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at medical cannabis and quality of life, an innovative cannabis venue in Las Vegas, veterans groups that support a change in cannabis scheduling and more. Enjoy.
Medical Cannabis and Quality of Life
A new study is said to offer more evidence that the use of medical cannabis can be associated with improvements in a patient’s health-related quality of life.
So says Emily Earlenbaugh, reporting for Leafly. According to Earlenbaugh, the UK-based researchers who conducted the year-long study also observed a reduced use of opioid medications among cannabis patients, and found that patients prescribed dried cannabis flower —as opposed to tinctures and lozenges—were most likely to show clinical improvement.
Earlenbaugh noted that in the study the researchers examined the effects of specific regimens of medical cannabis and their effects on patients’ well-being. By keeping track of the particulars of the medical cannabis in question, they hoped to gather data that could provide more specific information about cannabis’ effects.
In the study, the researchers analyzed data from a cohort of 1,378 medical cannabis patients in the UK. About 40 percent of the patients were already cannabis consumers when the study began. The rest were not.
Earlenbaugh writes that the researchers collected information about patients’ demographics, conditions, medications, and occupations, as well as their history with cannabis, other drugs, and alcohol. While the patients’ primary reasons for using cannabis varied, the most common reasons were chronic pain, neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, and anxiety.
After analyzing the data from the study, the authors found statistically significant improvements on all measures—anxiety, sleep quality and health-related quality of life—at the 3, 6, and 12 month benchmarks of the study. The data suggested that cannabis was benefiting these patients.
They also found that patients in the study who used opioid medications reported reducing their opioid use during the study and that participants who used dried cannabis flowers—rather than sublingual cannabis options, such as tinctures or lozenges, alone—experienced more substantial improvements.
In addition, patients who used both cannabis flowers and sublingual cannabis saw similar results to those using cannabis flowers alone, while patients using just sublinguals had less significant improvements in their quality of life measures.
Earlenbaugh is careful to note that since this was an observational study, the findings do not necessarily prove that the cannabis treatment caused the quality of life improvements, only that a correlation exists.
To learn more, we urge you to read Emily Earlenbaugh‘s detailed and insightful reporting in the February 12, 2024 issue of Leafly.com.
www.leafly.com/news/health/weed-vs-patient-quality-life-2024?
To read an abstract of the study, click on the following link.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/npr2.12403
Cannabis and Taxes, Chapter Two
It appears Californians aren’t interested in second-hand smoke—or more specifically, second-hand smoking paraphernalia.
In an update to a story we ran last week, an auction of confiscated cannabis paraphernalia held by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration and the California Highway Patrol fell far short of its financial target.
The agencies had hoped the auction would put a sizable dent in the over $14.4 million owed in unpaid cannabis taxes by different businesses.
According to Graham Abbott, reporting for Ganjapreneur, the auction raised only $2,075.
To be fair, the auction was held in the California Highway Patrol’s parking lot in Los Angeles, which may have put a damper on the enthusiasm of some bargain hunters.
In his article, Abbott noted that the auctioned-off items were seized by law enforcement during raids on ten “non-compliant” cannabis companies in southern California.
Bongs weren’t the only bargains available at the auction. Items up for sale included office supplies, and furniture from multiple cannabis retailers, vending machines and a snow cone maker.
While officials declined to name the ten companies from which the products were seized, they acknowledged that only one of the companies had been actually licensed to retail cannabis products. Funds from the auction will be applied to the companies’ considerable tax debts.
We assume that every little bit helps.
To learn more, we suggest reading the excellent article by Graham Abbott in the February 27, 2024 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
www.ganjapreneur.com/california-bong-auction-earns-just-2075/?
Cannabis and Veterans
Some of the nation’s largest veterans groups have joined the chorus of concerned individuals and groups that are encouraging the Biden administration to ease federal restrictions on marijuana by changing its classification from a Schedule 1 drug to a Schedule 3 drug.
According to Julie Tsirkin, reporting for NBCNEWS.com, the groups—which include the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, AMVETS, American GI Forum, the American Legion, Blinded Veterans Association, and the Minority Veterans of America—joined together to send a letter to the Justice Department (which was obtained by NBC News) in which they urged the Department, which oversees the Drug Enforcement Administration, to proceed quickly with the reclassification.
They wrote, in part, “The men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces often face difficult physical and mental challenges upon returning home. As such, we hope that in treating the wounds of war — both visible and invisible — that our servicemembers and veterans would have access to the widest array of possible treatments.”
In her article, Tsirkin noted that even though the Department of Veterans Affairs is prohibited from denying health services to veterans who use marijuana in states where it is legal, the agency does not offer medical marijuana as a treatment for veterans or pay for medical marijuana prescriptions from any source — even in the more than 40 states where cannabis is legal in some form.
In fact, a recent survey conducted by the American Legion found 82 percent of respondents said they want medical cannabis as a federally legal treatment option and without the reclassification from the DEA, “many veterans remain uncomfortable discussing cannabis use with their VA providers due to fear of retribution.”
In their letter, the veterans groups also stated, “We understand that the administrative scheduling process involves several steps, but the sooner the DEA moves forward with a reclassification of cannabis, the sooner it could potentially be integrated into the [Veterans Health Administration] — our nation’s largest healthcare system.”
Julie Tsirkin does an excellent job of unpacking a complicated issue. If you want to learn more we urge you to read her article in the February 22, 2024 issue of NBCNEWS.com.
The Shape of Things to Come
There’s good news for mature consumers who like to take advantage of all that Las Vegas has to offer. Nevada’s first legal marijuana consumption lounge is officially open for business.
According to Kyle Jaeger, reporting for Marijuana Moment, patrons can now light up at the THRIVE Cannabis Marketplace facility, in Las Vegas, where they can experience a curated selection of marijuana products and non-alcoholic THC-infused beverages.
In keeping with the irreverent, anything-goes spirit of the city, a top local lawmaker smoked the first joint at the lounge at 4:20 pm on opening day.
The Nevada Cannabis Control Board (CCB) gave final approval for the lounge earlier this month after years of debate on how best to craft a new kind of license that would cover cannabis lounges.
Said Mitch Britten, CEO of THRIVE Cannabis Marketplace, “THRIVE has always been known for setting the bar for operational standards and quality cannabis experiences and we are thrilled to be at the forefront of this historic moment in Las Vegas as we continue to revolutionize the cannabis industry.”
In his article, Jaeger noted that Clark County Commission Chairman Tick Segerblom made history as the first person to make a legal purchase and smoke a joint at the facility—lighting up at the symbolic time of 4:20 pm. The lounge also recognized the commissioner by dedicating a signature cannabis-infused drink, “The Godfather,” in his honor.
Segerblom told Marijuana Moment, “I have been waiting since the 60s for this day: legally smoking marijuana in public. Now Las Vegas is on its way to being the ‘New Amsterdam’—the marijuana capital of the world.”
Called Smoke and Mirrors, the lounge is open for adults 21 and older from 4:00 pm to midnight on Tuesday and Wednesday and noon to midnight Thursday-Sunday.
This is just the beginning of what is likely to be a lucrative trend. As Jaeger points out, the Cannabis Control Board said earlier this month that there are currently 19 lounges that have been approved for a conditional license. That includes 14 with retail services attached and five independent lounges.
Jaeger writes that under the board-approved rules, consumption must be hidden from public view. Smoking and vaping must take place in a separate room of the lounge or be prohibited entirely. Single-use or ready-to-consume cannabis products can’t be purchased elsewhere and brought into the lounge—and businesses must provide water to every guest free of charge. Also, the lounges will also be cannabis-only. No alcohol, tobacco or nicotine products can be sold.
To learn more, including what kinds of products will be available to customers and restrictions governing their use, we urge you to read Kyle Jaeger’s in-depth reporting in the February 26, 2024 issue of Marijuana Moment.net. As always, his work is outstanding.
Stats of the Week
This week’s magic number is 86 percent. According to a recent survey by the California Department of Cannabis Control, 86 percent of Californians believe it is important to purchase cannabis from legal sources.
According to Graham Abbott, writing for Ganjapreneur, this number highlights a growing preference for the regulated market over unregulated alternatives.
The survey also revealed that 62 percent of Californians believe that Proposition 64—which made it legal to possess cannabis when it was passed back in 2016—has had a positive impact. This means, writes Abbott, that the legal cannabis market is now more popular than the state’s 2016 cannabis legalization ballot initiative. That was passed with the support of 57 percent of the voters.
Abbott noted that the survey of more than 1,000 respondents also found that 72 percent of Californians believe that cannabis consumers have a responsibility to utilize the regulated market.
Imagine, purchasing legal cannabis can be a matter of civic responsibility. As Cicero once said, “O tempora, o mores.”
The survey also found that 56 percent of Californians have consumed cannabis and that 88 percent of respondents who have consumed cannabis said they would buy products from the regulated industry.
Said Nicole Elliott, Director of California’s Department of Cannabis Control, “Education and enforcement are two of the key pillars that support a well-regulated cannabis market. The Real California Cannabis campaign will provide cannabis consumers with information that empowers them to make informed decisions regarding their cannabis purchases. These smart choices support safer communities, local businesses, and our continuous efforts to disrupt the illegal market.”
You can learn more by reading Graham Abbott’s article in the February 28, 2024 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
www.ganjapreneur.com/survey-86-of-californians-favor-legal-cannabis-sources/?
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.
