Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at President-elect Trump’s positions on cannabis, using CBD to treat patients with Alzheimer’s Disease, treating chronic nerve pain with cannabinoids and more. Enjoy.
Cannabis and the Trump Administration
There is some speculation that cannabis may be one area where Trump will continue to promote policies established during the Biden administration.
So says Bill Chappell, reporting for NPR. In a recent article, Chappell noted that during the campaign Trump issued a statement largely aligning himself with the Biden administration and his election opponent, Vice President Harris, affirming that he supports legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.
Said Mr. Trump in a Truth Social post, “I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use. We must also implement smart regulations, while providing access for adults, to safe, tested product.”
Chappell also makes the point that as far back as 2018 Trump said he “probably will end up supporting” bipartisan legislation to let states craft their own laws on marijuana.
David Culver, the senior vice president of public affairs of the U.S. Cannabis Council lobbying group, told NPR, “We didn’t see a lot of activity from President Trump, if any at all, on cannabis reform in his first term, but I think this time is going to be different.”
Added Culver, “When Trump was president first time around, we had an attorney general that was absolutely — I would consider him a prohibitionist.” He was referring to former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Culver went on to say he thinks president-elect Trump is going to appoint someone that takes a more neutral position and/or pro position on cannabis reform. “And,” he noted, “we’re going to have people inside this administration like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who are going to have a prominent role that are pro-legalization champions.”
Culver also shared his belief that cannabis will not be a top priority for Trump as he takes office and that the federal government might form a regulatory structure that leaves “the bulk of the regulations to the states, just like we do with beverage alcohol.”
In a related matter, those who enjoy connecting dots and speculating about moves “inside the beltway” have noted that according to the blog Tokin Woman, the person the president-elect has selected as his Chief of Staff, longtime Republican operative Susie Wiles, worked for Ballard Partners, a Florida-based lobbying firm. Ellen Komp, who pens the blog, makes the point that according to its website, Ballard represents Trulieve, which Komp describes as the “mega cannabis company.”
Make of those dots what you will.
To learn more, we urge you to read Bill Chappell’s excellent reporting in the November 11, 2024 issue of NPR.org.
https://www.npr.org/2024/11/11/nx-s1-5184119/trump-biden-marijuana-legalization
If you are looking for cannabis content written from the perspective of an activist and author who happens to be a woman, we’d like to suggest visiting the blog Tokin Woman. Ellen Komp has been covering the cannabis beat there since 2008. Her story about Susie Wiles was posted on November 8, 2024.
https://tokinwoman.blogspot.com/2024/11/trump-chief-of-staff-pick-worked-for-pr.html
New Senate Leadership and Cannabis
Not one of the three most-likely candidates for the post of Senate majority leader can be described as being in favor of rescheduling cannabis or legalization. According to Kyle Jaeger, writing for Marijuana Moment, Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX), Rick Scott (R-FL) and John Thune (R-SD) are currently at the top of the list of potential majority leaders who will set the legislative agenda.
Jaeger notes that none of the three have embraced ending prohibition, and each has a track record of expressing concerns about cannabis use or even moderate policy reforms, such as those endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump on the campaign trail.
Cornyn has tentatively acknowledged that federal marijuana policy should be evaluated, calling the cash-intensive nature of the cannabis industry “a real threat” in 2019. However, he has expressed opposition to rescheduling.
In August, writes Jaeger, Scott said he believes “marijuana is a gateway drug,” which has informed his opposition to federal and state-level reform, including the failed legalization proposal that was on the ballot in his state of Florida.
Thune joined Cornyn and other lawmakers in the letter challenging the Biden administration’s marijuana rescheduling push, urging a reversal of the policy proposal. Also, Jaeger points out, Thune has consistently opposed even modest proposals to allow marijuana industry banking.
More news as more news develops.
To learn more, you can read Kyle Jaeger’s article in the November 12, 2024 issue of Marijuana Moment.net. As always, his reporting is clear, concise and on point.
* Note: Sen. Thune was elected majority leader as we went to press.
CBD Spotlight
Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can often experience neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as agitation, aggression, delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, wandering, depression, apathy, disinhibition, and sleep disturbances as part of their condition. Caring for a person experiencing these symptoms can also take its toll on caregivers, causing them distress as well.
Fortunately for individuals with AD and their caregivers, a new study indicates treatment that includes a CBD-rich oil may offer an effective way to address these symptoms and help to reduce distress on the part of the individual with AD and his or her caregiver.
The study, which was conducted by researchers affiliated with the School of Medicine at the Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia and published in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids, focused on a cohort of 59 patients aged 65 or older with AD. Individuals in this group received daily doses of CBD-rich oil, which was administered sublingually every 8–12 hours.
The research team employed the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q) to measure the presence and severity of 12 Neuropsychiatric Symptoms (NPS) in patients with dementia, as well as the distress their condition can cause a caregiver.
A significant reduction in the NPI-Q severity and caregiver’s distress scores was found after 3 months of intervention, which was sustained for up to 24 months of follow-up. Notably, the researchers wrote, “the effectiveness was independent of age, sex, years with AD, type of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and NPI-Q severity score before CBD treatment.”
The researchers concluded that CBD-rich oil is an effective and safe therapy for treating NPS in AD patients, while also helping to reduce the caregivers’ distress. They also contend such a treatment approach may help to reduce the financial burden resulting from treating the person with multiple pharmaceutical drugs and institutionalization.
To read an abstract of the study, which appeared in the 2024 issue of the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids, simply click on the link that follows.
https://karger.com/mca/article/7/1/160/913137/Treatment-of-Neuropsychiatric-Symptoms-in
Technology Update
There’s news that’s likely to be welcomed by critics and cannabis advocates alike. An Arizona-based company has developed a new type of packaging for cannabis products that is designed to be both kind to the environment and enhance child safety.
That’s the word from TG Branfalt, reporting for Ganjapreneur. According to Branfalt, the company, DIZPOT, has been granted a patent in the U.S. for a child-resistant, biodegradable, paper tube for packaging cannabis. In a press release, the company said, “the product was created with the need to provide operators sustainable solutions with environmentally friendly materials and child-resistant technology.”
Said the company’s co-founder, John Hartsell, “Securing this patent is a testament to the creativity and technical expertise we foster at DIZPOT.” The company notes the product was conceived in 2022 and designed in-house.
Added Hartsell in a statement, “As the regulatory landscape evolves, we are committed to delivering cutting-edge products that not only meet the highest compliance standards but also reduce our industry’s environmental footprint. This paper tube is just the first in a line of many patented designs we plan to bring to the market.”
In his article, Branfalt noted that according to a report from the Sustainable Cannabis Coalition, the U.S. cannabis industry used nearly 1 billion pieces of single-use plastic in 2020, much of which ended up in landfills.
To learn more, we urge you to read TG Branfalt’s article in the November 11, 2024 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
Cannabis News and Notes
There may be hopeful news for those who suffer from chronic nerve pain. A newly published review of research concludes that treatment with cannabinoids can offer “significant relief from chronic pain” with “minimal to no side effects.”
According to Ben Adlin, reporting for Marijuana Moment, the study’s findings indicate that cannabinoid-based treatment for chronic pain has the potential to provide patients with a “life-changing alternative” to conventional pharmaceuticals.
In an article that appeared in the journal Cureus, the research team wrote, “The positive effects of cannabinoids in pain management are clear and their merit in the treatment thereof is evident.” They also stated, “the fact that cannabinoids are natural garners it (sic) support over traditional synthetic and semi-synthetic drugs.”
In addition, Adlin noted that based on their analysis of five placebo-controlled randomized control studies published between 2000 and 2024, the authors found that treatment with cannabinoids offered markedly more pain relief than did placebo.
The authors, who are affiliated with the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Medical College, in Mauritius, also wrote in their article that, “The transdermal application of CBD led to a more pronounced reduction in sharp pain, according to the neuropathic pain scale. Minimal to no side effects were recorded, further highlighting the potential benefits of cannabinoids.”
The authors of the study also offered the opinion that the results of their investigation indicate that cannabinoids can offer a paradigm-changing alternative to pharmaceuticals.
To learn more, we suggest reading Ben Adlin’s insightful reporting in the October 25, 2024 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/cannabis-treatment-reduces-chronic-nerve-pain-with-minimal-to-no-side-effects-new-scientific-review-finds/?
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.
