Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at CBD and pain management, why individuals use medical cannabis, cannabis and employment opportunities and more. Enjoy.
Cannabis Quote of the Week
“Marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug unless you’re entered in the Coney Island hot dog eating contest on Fourth of July.” —Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN).
Congressman Cohen was commenting on the suspension of U.S. runner Sha’Carri Richardson from the Olympics because of a positive marijuana test.
Cohen argued that it is hypocritical that athletes would be penalized for using marijuana when alcohol use is largely tolerated. “If she got rip-roaring drunk on margaritas, Red Bull or whatever else you drink out there these days—lagers—she’d have been fine because it wouldn’t have shown up in her system. She still would have been allowed to run. But for marijuana, it could have been 20 days ago and just a puff or two, she’s gone.”
He went on to say it’s time for Congress to fix the policy gap and catch up with the public by federally legalizing cannabis. “To take [Richardson’s] right to appear and her dream away from her is absurd, and this Congress should see that we don’t have these problems in the future.”
His comments came at a House Judiciary Committee markup of a bill to eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. Cannabis reform was not discussed.
To learn more you can read Kyle Jaeger’s reporting in the July 21, 2021 edition of Marijuana Moment.
CBD and Pain Management
There is hopeful news for those who suffer from neuropathic pain—a sharp, stinging, or burning pain caused by damaged nerves or a problem with the nervous system. A new study indicates cannabidiol (CBD) may be a promising way to treat the anxiety that often accompanies such pain.
Experts say there is a strong overlap between neuropathic pain and both anxiety and depression. For example, Scott Berman MD estimated in an article for The Neuropathy Journal that 30 to 60 percent of patients with chronic pain develop feelings of depression and anxiety. Berman is also a psychiatrist and a medical advisor and member of the Board of Directors of the National Society of Neuropathy.
Part of the problem stems from the fact that patients with chronic nerve pain may suffer from sleep deprivation or mood disorders, including depression and anxiety, which can cause an escalation of an underlying condition.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, found low doses of CBD were able to reverse anxiety behaviors induced by chronic pain.
Now before you start any finger wagging or “I told you so’s” it should be noted that the study, which appeared in the journal Neuropharmacology, was conducted on rats and not humans. So to be fair, the anxiety was not “self reported” but inferred from brain activity and observable behavior. Still, it’s a start and, hopefully, cause for further research.
A link to an abstract of the article, which will appear in the October 2021 issue of the journal, follows. Be warned, the abstract is laden with references to neurophysiology so you may want to stick to the section marked Highlights.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028390821002677
Stats of the Week
Once again the folks at New Frontier Data have provided us with the Stat of the Week and this week’s magic number is 64 percent. According to a new study that’s the percentage of individuals who were prescribed anti-anxiety medication and have stopped using it because they found medical cannabis to be more effective for managing anxiety.
While we don’t advocate anyone doing this without first consulting with their doctor we do find the number interesting. Also, we do believe consumers know from personal experience what does and doesn’t work for them.
The study found that of the top ten reasons consumers turn to medical cannabis, managing anxiety was tops at 41 percent, followed by arthritis (29 percent), pain (29 percent) and insomnia (18 percent)—all conditions that are often experienced by older adults.
To learn more we suggest you read the July 19, 2021 edition of CannaBit, a publication of New Frontier Data.
Cannabis Trends
A new study indicates Americans are on a pace to spend more on cannabis products in 2021 than they will on milk.
According to data analyzed by Leafly and Whitney Economics Americans spent more than $12 billion on legal cannabis products in the first six months of 2021, which—according to the Dairy Farmers of America—is almost as much as Americans spent on milk in all of 2020. According to industry sources, consumers spent roughly $12.6 billion on milk last year.
Bruce Barcott, writing for Leafly, reported the six-month trend in 2021 puts the cannabis industry on track to reach $25 billion to $26 billion in sales by the end of the year. That would represent a year-over-year revenue increase of roughly 35 percent.
Barcott went on to say that such growth would continue the cannabis industry’s position as the nation’s fastest-growing industry. In 2020, sales revenue increased roughly 60 percent over 2019, driven by increased buying during the coronavirus pandemic.
We acknowledge that comparing the sales figures of cannabis and dairy products is a bit like comparing milk and cookies, but in this case we believe the factoid is instructive as another indication of the growing use of cannabis in the U.S.
And no, we don’t think the popularity of cannabis will ever replace a cold glass of milk as a compliment to chocolate chip cookies, although it may cause some folks to change the recipe they use to make the cookies.
To learn more we urge you to read Bruce Barcott’s reporting in the July 19, 2021 edition of Leafly.
www.leafly.com/news/industry/americans-on-pace-to-spend-twice-as-much-on-weed-as-on-milk
Cannabis and Employment
There is good news for mature consumers who may want to make a career change or pick up a part-time job in retirement but are concerned that testing positive for cannabis might eliminate them as a candidate for a particular position.
A Philadelphia man has created a search engine for job seekers called Phynally that will only accept job listings from employers who do not require individuals to undergo marijuana drug testing.
The company’s founder, Damian Jordan, recently told Giansamuel, writing for Pennsylvania News Today, “We’re LinkedIn for cannabis users. We want to unite people with transparent employers who have transitioned from old policies dating back to the war on drugs, that is, employers who know that the future is legal (cannabis).”
Positions can be searched for by location and occupation—and are not limited to Philadelphia or its surrounding area. While employers can now post some positions for free they can also purchase an unlimited posting package for $ 150 a year. Job seekers can upload their resumes for free. Jordan says there were over 7,000 such uploads in the past month alone.
To learn more, you can read Giansamuel’s article by clicking on the link that follows.
pennsylvanianewstoday.com/phillyman-creates-phynally-a-job-search-tool-for-marijuana-users/184082/
You can also visit the company’s website at Phynally.com.
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.
