Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at the CDC talking marijuana and pain management with patients, Martha Stewart’s new product line, Playboy’s effort to make CBD part of sexual well being and more. Enjoy.
Cannabis and Pain Management
In an effort to get a better understanding of how alternative treatments help patients manage pain, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has been meeting with patients who use medical marijuana as a way to treat chronic pain as part of what it calls “listening sessions.”
Dustin McDonald, who uses cannabis to treat the effects of Lyme disease and also serves as policy director with Americans for Safe Access (ASA), said the CDC officials “seemed fairly open-minded” about the subject despite the ongoing federal prohibition of marijuana.
According to Kyle Jaeger, writing for Marijuana Moment, CDC representatives told McDonald that his meeting wasn’t the first they’ve had with someone who uses medical marijuana as an alternative pain management option. In fact, McDonalds says they told him “a lot of the folks that they had spoken with were using cannabis for chronic pain.”
McDonald said the CDC officials closed the meeting by asking what the agency could do to assist in advancing the conversation on additional research into medical cannabis applications to human health and health disorders, including talking to lawmakers about the need to dive more deeply into researching all of these applications when it comes to pain management.
You can learn more by reading Kyle Jaeger’s insightful reporting in the September 15, 2020 issue of Marijuana Moment.
Quote of the Week
“I would certainly expand medical marijuana. If it’ll help somebody, I’m for it. Whatever it is. I mean, a toothache, I don’t care. If it’s a cure, if it [alleviates] pain, we should be able to use that.” —Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.
According to Ben Adlin, reporting for Marijuana Moment, Miller was expressing his support for expanding the current limited compassionate access program to include more patients who could benefit from cannabis—including those who would use it for toothaches.
Currently, Texas allows medical marijuana to be used by those suffering from multiple sclerosis, terminal cancer, autism, spasticity and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
You can learn more by reading Ben Adlin’s article in the September 14, 2020 edition of Marijuana Moment.
CBD Celebrity Spotlight
In a move that has been anticipated for some time, domestic goddess, lifestyle muse and close friend and colleague of Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart, is launching her first-ever line of CBD products in collaboration with Canadian cannabis giant Canopy Growth.
The hemp-derived soft gels, oils and gummies, with names such as Citrus Medley and Berry Medley, were said to be inspired by Stewart’s kitchen and garden and developed in partnership with Canopy Growth’s scientific team.
The initial product offering will include a line of pet products scheduled to launch in the coming months.
Said Stewart in a statement to CNN Business, “I was surprised to learn that while most people have heard of CBD, less than 20 percent of us have actually tried it. For me, that signals a lot of opportunity to create beautiful, elevated products that help people live well.”
Stewart’s collaboration with Canopy Growth began in February of 2020 when it was announced she was taking an advisory role with the company.
David Klein, Canopy’s CEO, said the launch of Stewart’s products represents a significant step in building its US business.
To learn more you can read Alicia Wallace’s article in the September 10, 2020 issue of CNN Business.com. Jelena Martinovic also covered the story in the September 10, 2020 edition of Benzinga.com.
www.cnn.com/2020/09/10/business/martha-stewart-cbd-launch/index.html
The Sensual Side of CBD
In an effort to address what it calls “the orgasm gap,” Playboy, yes that Playboy, has announced the introduction of several new broad-spectrum CBD-based products. The products—an arousal spray, an intimacy gel, and a bath bomb—will be part of the company’s existing line of sexual wellness consumer products.
That’s the word from Jelena Martinovic, reporting for Benzinga. She says the product line, called CBD by Playboy, is being produced in partnership with women’s health start-up Allbodies.
Said Anita Little, Playboy Sex & Culture Editor, “Our ambition at Playboy is to help everybody, and everybody explore and pursue pleasure. The new CBD line is a part of our continued effort to help close the orgasm gap.”
Little was referring to research that contends 85 percent of men orgasmed the last time they had sex versus 64 percent of women who managed to achieve an orgasm.
Just how adding CBD to a bath bomb will help to close this “gap” is not quite clear.
To learn more you can read Jelena Martinovic‘s article in the September 14, 2020 edition of Benzinga.
www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/20/09/17493545/playboy-launches-cbd-line-to-boost-sexual-pleasure?
Stats Of the Week
The folks at Cannabyte, a publication of New Frontier Data, have released a snapshot of revised sales tax revenues generated by the sale of cannabis in California from 2018 to the first two quarters of 2020.
The revised figures show the state collected $169 million in tax revenue in 2018, $239 million in 2019 and $155 million so far in 2020—nearly as much as was collected during all of 2018.
Granted, the numbers reflect sales in just one state, however they do provide some insight into how states that are strapped for cash may benefit from the legalization of cannabis.
To learn more, visit the article “California’s Revised Cannabis Retail Sales Tax Revenues” that appears in the September 14, 2020 issue of Cannabyte.
newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/californias-revised-cannabis-retail-sales-tax-revenues/?
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com or at 347-528-8753.
