Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at using CBD to reduce alcohol consumption, including cannabis as part of a workout routine, a new profile of cannabis users and more. Enjoy.
CBD and Alcohol Use
There’s hopeful news for those who would like to reduce the amount of alcohol they consume. According to Dana Smith, writing for Cannabis.net, using CBD may help.
Smith reports that a new study conducted by University of Colorado researchers found that participants who consumed cannabis strains high in CBD “drank fewer drinks per drinking day, had fewer alcohol use days, and had fewer alcohol and cannabis co-use days compared with the other groups.”
Said the study’s authors, “The present study lends preliminary support to the notion that plant-based CBD may be associated with decreased alcohol consumption among regular cannabis users and suggests that it may be feasible for regular cannabis users to switch to a higher CBD, lower THC content cannabis strain for the purposes of reducing their alcohol intake.”
For the study, researchers analyzed responses to CBD as well as THC and hybrid strains of cannabis. According to the authors, study participants who consumed hybrid and THC strains didn’t show any changes when their drinking patterns were analyzed.
The study was published in the medical journal, Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. To learn more, we suggest you read Dana Smith’s article in the August 17, 2021 issue of Cannabis.net.
cannabis.net/blog/medical/cbd-now-clearly-linked-to-reduced-alcohol-consumption
Cannabis Trends
If you use cannabis in New York State and are headed to the state fair, you really can take it with you. That’s the word from Kyle Jaeger, reporting for Marijuana Moment. Jaeger writes that adults visiting the fair will be able to consume marijuana in any place where tobacco use is permitted. He notes the policy change was first reported by Spectrum News.
Dave Bullard, a spokesperson for the Fair, told Marijuana Moment, “State law allows marijuana use anywhere tobacco use is permitted. Smoking is not permitted in Fairgrounds buildings or in the open concert venues at Chevy Court and Chevy Park but is allowed elsewhere outdoors.”
Bullard added, “We encourage those who smoke to be considerate of others around them.”
We can’t say for sure but we wouldn’t be surprised if this policy triggers a spike in the sale of Belgian Waffles and Deep Fried Oreos.
You can learn more by reading Kyle Jaeger’s reporting in the August 16, 2021 issue of Marijuana Moment. As usual, his reporting is first rate.
Cannabis Quote of the Week
“It’s time to set the record straight once and for all. Negative stigmas around cannabis — not to mention overcriminalization — must be a thing of the past…. People use cannabis to relax and as a crucial element of a health and wellness routine, and we should encourage people to share the benefits cannabis brings for them.”—Ross Lipson, co-founder and CEO of the cannabis tech company dutchie.
Lipson’s comments are taken from an interview conducted by Javier Hasse that appeared in Forbes. The article also examines a new study by dutchie, the results of which show that many “stoner” stereotypes are far from accurate.
For example, the study revealed cannabis consumers tend to be highly educated—54 percent have a college degree or higher—and more are likely to participate in the workforce than the average American.
Said Lipson, “Cannabis consumers are not just stoners: They are high-achieving doctors, lawyers, mothers, teachers, creatives, Olympic athletes, and Olympic commentators.”
According to the study cannabis consumers are predominantly female, many of whom use it to enhance wellness and for relief from things such as menstrual pain or to help with sleep or stress.
Hasse also reported the study found 58 percent of respondents reported being physically active and enjoying hiking and sports. In addition, 57 percent called themselves health-conscious.
In the same article, the one and only Snoop Dogg also weighed in on the topic, telling Hasse,“I smoke cannabis, advocate for it on a personal level, but I’m also an investor and entrepreneur. The opportunity in cannabis is clear, and this data highlights that consumers are highly educated, with more buying power than these stereotypes would have you believe.” In addition to his career as a performer, game show host and brand ambassador, Snoop Dogg is the co-founder of Casa Verde Capital and is an investor in dutchie.
To learn more about the study—including the desire of respondents to purchase cannabis legally and conveniently—we urge you to read Javier Hasse’s informative article in the August 11, 2021 issue of Forbes. As usual, Hasse’s work is excellent.
Stats of the Week
A new study puts a slightly different spin on the term “runners high.” According to Chris Melore, writing for the website Study Finds, a survey of over 1,000 people who admit to using cannabis when exercising, conducted by FitRated, found six in 10 respondents say they use some form of marijuana to help recover from a workout, with CBD being the most popular option. Thirty percent of respondents add CBD to their normal recovery regimen. CBD users also told the survey they feel less pain after an intense workout in comparison to THC users.
Melore also reported that the poll revealed most CBD users choose to have their cannabis products after a workout (71.1 percent). On the other hand, respondents who said they prefer the psychoactive effects of THC tend to spread out its effects across an entire workout. Nearly half of THC users in the survey said they used cannabis before or after exercise, with a third adding they actually like to “get high” right in the middle of their workout. One would hope they take particular care when using the free weights.
To learn more, visit Chris Melore’s article in the August 16, 2021 edition of the website StudyFinds.org.
www.studyfinds.org/marijuana-while-exercising
Spotlight on Medical Marijuana
A new study indicates using medical marijuana can help to improve the quality of life of individuals who experience chronic pain.
Researchers at the Department of Pharmacy Practice/Pharmacy Administration, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and a company called MoreBetter, Ltd., located in Hyattsville, Maryland, also found participants experienced an improvement in the state of anxiety that often accompanies chronic pain.
Their overall conclusion was that there is a positive relationship between using medical marijuana and improving the quality of life in patients who use it to help manage pain.
The findings will be presented at the 4th Cannabinoid Derived Pharmaceuticals Summit. The summit will be held in Boston, MA, September 21 to 23, 2021.
A link to an abstract of the study follows below.
www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/517857
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.
