Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. We’d like to start by wishing a Happy 4/20 to those who observe. This secular holiday with a decidedly herbal flavor might be an appropriate time to restate our mission.
For those who don’t already know, our mission is two fold. First, we don’t promote the use of cannabis as much as we’re in favor of mature individuals having the information they need to make intelligent decisions about using cannabis and deciding how it may or may not fit into their life. Second, if you are a mature consumer who uses cannabis or you are thinking about using it, we want you to know you are not alone.
This week we look at cannabis as a sleep aid for cancer patients, Colorado’s new license plate auction, how cannabis trumped alcohol in Illinois, research on how long cannabis intoxication lasts and more. Enjoy.
Cannabis, Cancer and Sleep
According to a study that appeared in the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, poor sleep is one of the most common side effects of cancer treatment and one increasingly popular approach to managing those side effects is the use of medicinal cannabis.
The study interviewed cancer patients who use medical cannabis, the majority of whom revealed they use it as a sleep aid. Participants told the researchers that medical cannabis improved their ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Participants also reported that using medical cannabis resulted in a decreased use of sleep medications and that improved sleep led to better health. No participant reported that medical cannabis was ineffective as a sleep aid or caused undesirable side effects when used for sleep.
As is often the case, the research team concluded there is a need for additional studies and clinical trials to assess comparative efficacy and safety of using medical cannabis for this purpose.
The Journal of Psychosocial Oncology is the first multidisciplinary journal published specifically for health professionals responsible for the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and their families. The study appeared in the April 13, 2021 issue. A link to an abstract of the study follows.
Cannabis cancer and sleep pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33847549/
Stats of the Week
There were two numbers that got us to sit up and take notice this week. Both, each in a different way, provide some insight into how Americans view cannabis.
The first is courtesy of the folks at Quinnipiac University who have released the results of their latest survey on the opinions Americans have about legalizing cannabis.
According to Kyle Jaeger, reporting for Marijuana Moment, the poll found 69 percent of those queried say that they favor ending the federal prohibition against cannabis. Jaeger said that the poll revealed a majority of support among every demographic that was included in the survey, including those 65 and older (51 percent) and Republicans (62 percent).
Quinnipiac University has surveyed where Americans stand on the issue of legalization since 2012 and this is the highest level of support it has ever recorded. Jaeger points out that the new figure is 18 percentage points higher than when respondents were first asked about their views on the reform nine years ago and nine points higher than the poll in 2019.
How and when this will translate into a change of policy at the federal level remains to be seen but there is evidence the majority of Americans want the federal prohibition lifted.
You can learn more by reading Kyle Jaeger’s clear and insightful reporting on the topic. It appears in the April 15, 2021 issue of Marijuana Moment.
The second number that we found remarkable, which comes from the great state of Illinois, is $86,537,000. That’s how much the state took in in taxes from the sale of cannabis products in the first quarter of 2021.
Besides being a lot of money that went into the state’s coffers, as Jelena Martinovic points out in an article for Benzinga, this marks the first time the state took in more money from the sale of cannabis than the sale of alcohol. Taxes on the sale of alcohol generated $72,281,000 during the same quarter.
Commenting on figures provided by Marijuana Moment, Martinovic reported that it’s feasible Illinois could generate over $1 billion in adult-use marijuana sales this year, which would result in “considerable tax revenue.”
To learn more we suggest you read Jelena Martinovic‘sarticle. It appears in the April 14, 2021 issue of Benzinga.com.
Cannabis and Transportation
Two stories involve cannabis and cars this week. In the first case, according to Nina Zdinjak, writing for Benzinga, Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber Technologies Inc. has revealed the company is open to the possibility of delivering cannabis to customers once cannabis is legal on the federal level.
Said Khosrowshahi during a CNBC’s TechCheck interview, “When the road is clear for cannabis, when federal laws come into play, we’re absolutely going to take a look at it.”
Zdinjak makes the point that this is not the first time Uber has explored opportunities in the cannabis arena. For example, last year, the company hired cannabis advertiser Fyllo to help it target cannabis consumers when marketing its food delivery services.
Nina Zdinjak‘s informative article appears in the April 13, 2021 issue of Benzinga.com.
For our second car-related story we travel to Colorado where the state has announced it is auctioning the rights for drivers to select from14 different official state license plates with cannabis-themed phrases. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Colorado Disability Funding Committee and will be used to fund disability application assistance as well as new and innovative programs increasing quality of life and independence of Colorado’s disability community.
The plates carry words and phrases, such as WEED, STASH, GANJA, SATIVA and, of course, ISIT420.
Said Governor Jared Polis, “Colorado is proud of our creativity and ingenuity. We’ve been a leader in the cannabis space for over a decade and this effort allows us to fund critical projects and programs in our disability community.”
To learn more you can click on the link that follows. It will take you to the Governor’s press release describing the program.
Cannabis Quotes of the Week
We have two quotes this week. One from an individual you might expect and the other, not so much.
“Find one (an edible) that you like, either a commercial one that somebody makes or that you make yourself, and take a little bit. It’s called ‘titrating.’ You take just a little bit first and see how strong it is. If it’s not strong enough, you take a little more and wait. Once you establish what your dosage is, you take that dose whenever you want. You know what will happen. I do edibles every night. I eat ginger snaps that my wife makes. They are wonderful and they get you high, which can’t be a bad thing.”—Musician and cannabis entrepreneur David Crosby. Yes that David Crosby. Given his reputation, one might refer to him as an informed source when it comes to edibles.
www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/david-crosby-edibles-beatles-stones-ask-croz-1154315/
Our second quote comes from a source you might not expect.
“In politics, you have to pay attention to what the people are saying. By the time I left office, I thought to myself ‘My goodness. I drank red wine. I smoked cigarettes. If somebody wants to have a joint, what the hell do I care?””—Former Speaker of the House John Boehner. While he does not use cannabis he says that he’s become convinced of its medical benefits and as a result he has become involved in the industry by joining the board of a cannabis company.
Twitter.com/SquawkCNBC/status/1382674475460726784
And no, we’re not casting a remake of The Odd Couple.
Spotlight on Safety
The notion that nothing lasts forever applies to many things, including the high that comes from using cannabis. However, as a growing number of states make it legal to use cannabis for both medical and recreational purposes there is an increased desire on the part of law enforcement to be able to determine just how long a driver may be experiencing the effects of cannabis after using it.
The question police officers in the field have to grapple with is just because someone tests positive for cannabis, say in a roadside sobriety test, does that necessarily mean their ability to drive safely is compromised?
Angela Stelmakowich, writing for the online publication The GrowthOp, reports that investigators with the University of Sydney’s Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics have delved into the issue with an eye toward determining the factors that determine the duration of impairment after a person has used cannabis.
Their results show that like a lot of things related to the use of cannabis, the answer is it depends. Or, in this case, it depends on a number of factors.
Stelmakowich writes that investigators identified a “window of impairment” that can last from three to 10 hours as a result of “moderate to high doses” of THC. Their study has been published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.
According to an abstract of the study, investigators looked at the acute effects of THC on driving performance and driving-related cognitive skills, with a particular focus on the duration of THC-induced impairment.
Said study lead author Danielle McCartney of the Lambert Initiative, “Our analysis indicates that impairment may last up to 10 hours if high doses of THC are consumed orally.” She added that medicinal cannabis users who consumed THC in oils, sprays or capsules, for example, showed that “impairment takes longer to appear and lasts significantly longer than with inhaling.
According to McCartney, a more typical impairment duration is four hours. This is likely to take place when lower doses of THC are smoked or vaped and simpler tasks are being undertaken, although these periods “may extend up to six or seven hours if higher doses of THC are inhaled and complex tasks, such as driving, are assessed.”
McCartney added, “The exact duration of impairment depends on the dose of THC, whether the THC is inhaled or taken orally, whether the cannabis user is regular or occasional and the demands of the task being undertaken while intoxicated.” She suggested individuals should wait at least five hours following inhaled cannabis use before performing safety-sensitive tasks, which would include driving.
So like we said earlier, it depends. Maybe the rule of thumb should be if you have used cannabis, either orally or by smoking, it’s best to put the car keys away for a while and consider having that pizza delivered.
You can learn much more about the study by reading Angela Stelmakowich’s clear and informative reporting in the April 12, 2021 issue of The GrowthOp.com.
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com.
