Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at cannabis as a sleep aid, using THC and CBD to manage chronic pain, medical cannabis in Germany and more. Enjoy.
Cannabis and Sleep
A growing number of consumers are waking up to the fact that using cannabis may aid with sleep. That’s a key takeaway from a new survey conducted by the Harris Poll.
The survey was conducted on behalf of the cannabis company Green Thumb Industries. The company is best known for producing a line of edibles.
According to Ben Adlin, who reported on the survey for Marijuana Moment, nearly 16 percent of Americans aged 21 and older who responded to the survey say they use cannabis as a sleep aid.
Adlin noted this finding indicates marijuana is more popular as a sleep aid than prescription sleep aids (12 percent) or alcohol (11 percent). However, it still ranks below over-the-counter sleep aids (19 percent) in popularity.
In his article, Adlin makes the point that the survey included both “cannabis” and “CBD-only or CBD + melatonin products” as possible selections for participants, who could pick multiple responses. Sixteen percent said they inhale or ingest cannabis—which could refer either to marijuana or hemp products—while 10 percent said they used CBD either alone or with melatonin.
Adlin also reported that relaxation and sleep are the most common reasons that American adults report using cannabis-infused edibles. Among the 41 percent of respondents who said they consume infused edibles, 25 percent said it was to help them relax, and 21 percent said it was to help them sleep.
The survey findings also revealed that men were more likely than women to say they used cannabis (18 percent versus 15 percent, respectively) or CBD products (11 percent versus 8 percent) for sleep, with men in the 35-to-44 age group the most likely to report using cannabis for that purpose.
Said Ben Kovler, founder, chairman and CEO of Green Thumb, “Sleeping well is essential for feeling your best. More Americans are choosing cannabis for relaxation, sleep and overall well-being.”
To learn more, we urge you to read Ben Adlin’s article in the January 22, 2025 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/more-american-adults-use-cannabis-as-a-sleep-aid-than-choose-prescription-pills-or-alcohol-to-fall-asleep-poll-shows/?
Cannabis and Chronic Pain
A significant number of people who live with chronic pain have reported they experience relief after using medical cannabis. That’s a key finding of a review of existing data that was published in the journal Cannabis. The review was conducted by a team of researchers affiliated with McMaster University, a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
The researchers acquired what they referred to as “cannabis utilization data” from 741 adults with chronic pain. Most patients were female (n = 464; 63 percent), with a mean age of 39.
The patient group reported a total of 83,622 sessions during which cannabis was used. The results experienced by the members of the group were recorded by Straintracker, an app that allows consumers to track their cannabis use.
The majority of sessions reported use of inhaled cannabis products (78 percent), typically with high tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; 64 percent) versus high cannabidiol (CBD; 15 percent) or balanced THC:CBD (21 percent) products.
The research team then used multilevel modeling to examine the association of age, sex, type of pain (muscle, joint or nerve pain), the type of cannabis used (high CBD, balanced CBD:THC, or high THC), method of administration (inhaled or ingested), cannabis use before vs. during the COVID-19 pandemic, and duration of cannabis use, with pain relief.
The researchers found that the median change in the pain scores reported by participants was minus 3 points, on a 10 point scale. That’s a reduction of pain by about a third.
The study appeared in Vol. 7 No. 3 of the journal Cannabis, which was published in 2024. To read an abstract of the study, click on the following link.
https://publications.sciences.ucf.edu/cannabis/index.php/Cannabis/article/view/259
Cannabis News and Notes
A Canadian cannabis company has launched its first line of medical cannabis products grown and manufactured in Germany.
That’s the word from Graham Abbott, reporting for Ganjapreneur. According to Abbott, Canada-based Aurora Cannabis Inc., an international and publicly traded cannabis company, announced the launch of the company’s first line of medical cannabis products for use in Germany. Manufactured in Leuna, Germany, products from Aurora’s IndiMed brand will be the company’s first to use cannabis produced in Germany.
Said Michael Simon, Interim President of Aurora Europe, “Aurora is proud to deliver to the rapidly growing German market our first domestically produced medical cannabis product – a significant step forward since Germany’s move to decriminalize cannabis earlier this year. As one of three facilities licensed to cultivate in Germany, we are uniquely positioned to offer domestic product from our EU-GMP facility in Leuna, Germany, which operates within Aurora’s global manufacturing network.”
Abbott also noted in his article that in 2024 Germany enacted the European Union’s most recent round of significant cannabis reforms, legalizing the use and possession of cannabis by adults aged 18 and older. Additionally, a poll last month found that 59 percent of German citizens support fully legalizing and regulating the plant.
You can learn much more by reading Graham Abbott’s clear and concise reporting in the January 24, 2025 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
https://www.ganjapreneur.com/aurora-launches-germany-based-medical-cannabis-brand/?
Cannabis and the Trump Administration
Those who were under the impression that the new administration was going to be “cannabis friendly” may want to wait a while before they try to “cash that check.”
Consider the following. According to Kyle Jaeger, writing for Marijuana Moment, the DEA has announced that Derek Maltz, who retired from the agency in 2014 after 28 years of service, will be serving as acting administrator.
In his article, Jaeger reports that in the past Maltz has made statements linking cannabis use to school shootings and repeatedly insisted that the Biden administration “hijacked” the rescheduling process from the agency for political purposes.
Wait, there’s more.
In October of 2022 Maltz tweeted, “For all the irresponsible politicians trying to get votes by legalizing marijuana, maybe it’s time to understand the NEGATIVE IMPACTS from smoking this crap! People rushing to ER’s and increased info on schools shooters connected to obsessive pot smoking.”
(Some believe nothing bolsters a shopworn argument like random exclamation points and going all caps, but we digress.)
Jaeger also noted that Maltz has claimed that the Justice Department “hijacked” the process from the DEA when it advanced a recommendation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
As an added bonus, Jaeger points out that Maltz has routinely raised concerns about Chinese trafficking organizations running illicit marijuana operations in the U.S.
It would also be prudent to keep in mind that former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi—Trump’s choice for U.S. attorney general—has declined to say how she plans to address key marijuana policy issues—including the ongoing rescheduling process and renewing federal enforcement guidance—if she’s ultimately confirmed.
Rescheduling is not a slam dunk. Moving forward, it’s probably best, as Mr. Morrison once observed, to “keep your eyes on the road and your hand upon the wheel.”
As always, Kyle Jaeger does a masterful job of unpacking a complicated story. To learn more, we urge you to read his article in the January 21, 2025 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
Spotlight on Cannabis and Cultivation
Knowing more about the tiny organisms that live near the roots of cannabis plants may pay big dividends for researchers, scientists and growers who want to boost production of both plants that are rich in CBD and those that are suitable for industrial hemp.
That’s a key finding of a study published in Nature Magazine that was conducted at the University of Houston. The study —”Microbiome diversity and variations in industrial hemp genotypes” — examined communities of microbiomes living in and around the roots and leaves of four types of hemp plants.
In the study, researchers compared how these microorganisms differ between hemp grown for fiber and hemp grown for CBD production.
Said Waqar Ahmad, an author of the study and doctoral student of lead researcher Abdul Latif Khan, “Understanding these microorganisms can also lead to more sustainable farming methods, using nature to boost plant growth instead of relying heavily on chemicals.”
The research team also hopes the study can lead to developing hemp plants with improved fiber properties that can thrive in a variety of environmental conditions in Texas and elsewhere.
If you want to learn more, we suggest reading the article that appeared in the January 17, 2025 issue of MJBizDaily.com. Just click on the following link.
https://mjbizdaily.com/farming-techniques-could-boost-cbd-hemp-study-infers/
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.
