Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at the new trend of Functional THC, treating chronic pain syndrome with cannabis, the challenge of enforcing the new ban on hemp-based products and more. Enjoy.
Cannabis Corner: Understanding Functional THC
Increasingly, cannabis consumers are moving beyond selecting strains based on THC percentage alone. Instead they are turning to strains with precise cannabinoid ratios and measurable impacts in order to achieve specific, distinct, repeatable experiences.
So says Sallie Blackmon in an article she penned for MJBizDaily. According to Blackmon, a growing number of consumers are no longer looking to just relax or get high. Instead, they are seeking controlled experiences. They want the same kind of dependable function from their cannabis choices that they have come to expect from caffeine or supplements — and the industry is responding by creating products with precise cannabinoid ratios and measurable impacts.
Said Chris Emerson, CEO of LEVEL, an edibles company that markets tablets for specific activities, such as gaming, “Demand for effect-driven products has continued to rise. The market is moving away from generic ‘this will relax you’ marketing toward formulations that deliver distinct, repeatable experiences through cannabinoid ratios and dose.”
Added Emerson, “Functional THC isn’t a single molecule or a single dose. It’s the correct THC dose, in a trusted matrix, for the intended moment.”
He pointed to LEVEL’s development process, which blends empirical feedback, peer-reviewed research and advanced machine learning to test for onset, peak, and tail, favoring repeatable, easy-to-titrate profiles as a way to create functional products.
In her article, Blackmon contends the move by consumers towards“functional THC” reflects a maturing market, where consumers are finally rethinking potency as the benchmark for quality.
She points to the rise in popularity of cannabis beverages and low-dose edibles, with their predictable onset and controllable effects as an example of this trend.
The Next Phase
According to Blackmon, the next competitive edge in cannabis may lie in delivering products that perform predictably, “batch after batch.”
At least one source she interviewed believes this predictability in experience will be a key “bridge to normalization.”
Said Dan Dolgin, co-founder of Eton Botanicals, “Functional cannabis reaches people who never thought it was for them. When it feels like a safe, everyday alternative to things like sleep aids or painkillers, that’s what brings wider acceptance – and legalization – closer.”
Sallie Blackmon does an excellent job of shining a light on a burgeoning trend in the cannabis sector. You can learn much moe by reading her article in the November 17, 2025 issue of MJBizDaily.com.
https://mjbizdaily.com/how-functional-thc-can-move-cannabis-past-the-potency-race/
Treating Chronic Pain with Cannabis
There may be hopeful news for those who suffer from chronic pain syndrome. Treatment that includes cannabis-based medicine may offer some relief.
Chronic pain syndrome has been described as a complex condition characterized by pain that lasts for months or years after an injury and can be accompanied by psychological symptoms like depression, anxiety, and fatigue. Typically, treatment can consist of medications, physical therapy, and injections to manage trigger points, as well as lifestyle changes and psychological support.
Now, a group of researchers affiliated with the University of Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil, the NeuroVinci Clinic, São José, Brazil and several other educational institutions have authored an article in which they contend that cannabis extracts and cannabinoids have shown promise as effective treatments for this condition.
The researchers conducted what they described as a retrospective open-label cross-sectional study on 29 female patients with chronic pain syndrome who received full-spectrum cannabis extracts (FCEs) produced by private, non-profit entities in Brazil.
A unique aspect of this study is that an individually tailored dosage protocol was used for each patient, with dosage schemes adjusted based on individualized clinical assessments of initial conditions and treatment responses.
Patients received either CBD-dominant extracts, THC-dominant extracts, or a combination of both. To evaluate the results, the team conducted a comprehensive online patient-reported outcome survey covering core chronic pain symptoms, comorbidities, personal burden, and quality of life—including open-ended questions to capture the practical and subjective impacts of chronic pain syndrome and FCEs treatment on patients’ lives.
The researchers wrote that despite the fact that most patients were already using medications for pain and mood disorders, all reported some level of pain relief after the treatment with the cannabis products, and most reported improvements in cognitive function, motor abilities, professional activities, irritability, anxiety, melancholy, fatigue, and sleep quality.
Based on these results, the researchers believe their study demonstrates the significance of tailoring treatment plans to individual chronic pain syndrome cases. They also contend their work demonstrates the feasibility of utilizing quality-controlled cannabis extracts as either adjuncts or primary pharmacotherapeutic options in the management of chronic pain syndrome.
To learn more, we suggest reading an abstract of the study, which has been provisionally accepted for publication by the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology. Simply click on the link below.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1538518/abstract
How to Talk About Cannabis
Talking about cannabis can be a challenge for consumers, retailers and researchers because once you get beyond measuring cannabinoid content the conversation can break down due to a lack of common terms and definitions.
Fortunately, some researchers believe that the nose always knows and because of that, aroma can offer a helpful place to start when describing the essential characteristics of a particular sample of cannabis.
To that end, a study conducted by Oregon State University recruited a panel of sensory analysis experts to evaluate the aroma profiles of cannabis and hemp flower samples.
According to TG Branfalt, reporting for Ganjapreneur, the study, which was published in the journal PLOS One, suggests there are four distinct cannabis aroma profiles. The profiles that emerged in the research are:
• Fruit, berry, candy.
• Citrus and chemical.
• Cheesy and vomit/fecal.
• Funky, earthy, musty, straw, fuel, black tea, woody, and nutty/toasted.
Tom Shellhammer, professor of food science and technology at Oregon State University, who conceived of the study, believes the research lays the groundwork for a shared vocabulary that benefits consumers, retailers and growers.
Said Shellhammer, in a statement “Aroma plays a key role in how consumers judge cannabis quality, yet until now there’s been no standardized language to describe it. … As the cannabis industry transitions from unregulated to legal frameworks, it’s critical to offer consumers tools for assessing product quality beyond terpenes and THC. This work begins to lay the foundation for that.”
In his article, Branfalt reported that to conduct the study, a panel of 24 individuals was recruited, most with prior experience with sensory analysis of food and beverages. As part of their recruitment these individuals were asked about their familiarity with cannabis and hemp. Members of the panel were fairly equally split between slightly, moderately, and extremely familiar with cannabis.
During the study, the panel was tasked with evaluating the aroma profiles of various cannabis samples. To ensure legal and state-compliant handling, the cannabis sample evaluation was carried out in space owned by a local cannabis dispensary. The panelists only examined the aroma of the plant material, not the aroma from smoked cannabis or hemp.
Branfalt noted that the fruit, berry, candy, citrus, chemical, cheesy, and vomit/fecal profiles were most associated with hemp, while the funky, earthy, musty, straw, fuel, black tea, woody, and nutty/toasted profiles were associated with THC-rich cannabis.
Like we said, the nose knows.
As always, TG Branfalt’s reporting is clear, concise and on point. To learn more about the study, we urge you to read his article in the November 17, 2025 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
https://ganjapreneur.com/study-there-are-4-distinct-aroma-profiles-associated-with-cannabis/
CBD Spotlight
Because of its anti-inflammatory potential, CBD may one day play a role in the management of type 1 diabetes. That’s the key takeaway of a study conducted by a team of researchers affiliated with various educational institutions in Brazil. Their work was published in the World Journal of Diabetes.
The team performed a comprehensive literature search across PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases using the terms “type 1 diabetes”, “cannabidiol”, “anti-inflammatory effect”, and “CBD”. Articles published between 2005 and 2025 were screened, and studies —some of which involved animals — that examined CBD as a therapeutic intervention for type 1 diabetes and reported on its anti-inflammatory effects were included.
Of the 62 retrieved articles, only 6 met the predefined inclusion criteria. Although limited in number, according to the team the available studies showed promising outcomes.
About Type 1 Diabetes
Defined by some as an autoimmune disease, type 1 diabetes has an early onset and is often diagnosed by the time a significant percentage of beta cells in the pancreas have already been destroyed.
This is significant since beta cells are cells in the pancreas that are responsible for producing and releasing insulin, a hormone that regulates blood glucose levels.
One typical characteristic of this condition is persistent inflammatory infiltration, which in some cases, can be associated with the development of pancreatitis.
Based on their study, the research team contends that by influencing immune pathways and reducing inflammation, CBD may contribute to the preservation of pancreatic beta cells and delay disease progression.
Consequently, the team concluded that CBD demonstrates potential as an adjuvant therapy for type 1 diabetes due to its anti-inflammatory actions. However, they do believe further research is required to establish safe and effective clinical application protocols.
To read an abstract of the study, which was published in the October 15, 2025 issue of the World Journal of Diabetes, click on the following link.
https://www.wjgnet.com/19489358/full/v16/i10/110041.htm
Enforcing the New Ban On Hemp
There’s a chance the new ban on hemp-based consumable products by the federal government may end up like the old story about the dog who chases the car. What does he expect to do, one might ask, if he should catch it?
A recent article in MJBizDaily explores what might happen if lawmakers and business leaders at the state level simply ignore the ban
The article notes that ABC-5 — the local ABC television station in Columbus, Ohio — reports that question is now being asked openly in Ohio, where regulated marijuana sales began last year.
Republican state Rep. Tex Fischer told ABC-5, “We’re still trying to figure out how to implement what’s going on at the federal level, so I think that maybe pumped the brakes a little bit – while we try to figure out how to proceed based on that.”
Then there’s the question of enforcement. The article, which was prepared by the MJBizDaily staff, notes that the $32 billion legal marijuana industry is illegal under federal law but still exists. What’s to stop the estimated $28.3 billion hemp sector from continuing to operate despite federal prohibition?
Said Jonathan Adler, a law professor at William & Mary and an Ohio market observer, “While marijuana is illegal for purposes of federal law, the federal government doesn’t have the resources, doesn’t have the personnel to go after individual retailers, individual buyers, let alone individual users.”
According to the report by ABC-5, even supporters of strict enforcement are admitting a measure of defeat. For example, Republican state House Speaker Matt Huffman, believes the popular hemp-derived THC beverages that are sold at major retailers, such as Target and Circle K, will continue to be sold.
Asked Huffman, “Now, are we going to go around and start cuffing 17-year-old clerks at gas stations?”
Clearly, state lawmakers in Ohio and elsewhere still aren’t sure what form enforcement of the federal hemp-derived THC ban will take at the state level.
More news as more news develops.
As usual, the staff at MJBizDaily did a first-rate job of reporting on the issue. To learn more, we urge you to read the article that appeared in the November 15, 2025 issue of MJBizDaily.com.
https://mjbizdaily.com/what-happens-if-states-ignore-the-federal-hemp-thc-ban/
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com.