Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at the DEA’s decision to increase cannabis production, cannabis and car accidents, the science behind the munchies and more. Enjoy.
Cannabis News and Notes
Predicting the Federal government’s intentions when it comes to legalizing cannabis has proven to be no easy task.
However, a decision by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to call for a “significant increase” in the production of marijuana and psilocybin for research purposes, with the intent of aiding in the development of new federally approved therapeutic medications, may offer some insight into the government’s long-term plans.
Citing a notice in the Federal Register, Kyle Jaeger, writing for Marijuana Moment, reports the DEA is calling for the production of 2 million grams of marijuana in 2021. That’s a 500,000-gram increase for its initial quota for the plant for this year and more than double its original quota of cannabis extract.
Jaeger contends the increase “shows a willingness from the leading federal drug enforcement agency to recognize an emerging scientific field and promote studies into the substances regardless of their Schedule I status.”
The DEA acknowledged the proposed increase reflects, “the need to fulfill research and development requirements in the production of new drug products, and the study of marijuana effects in particular, as necessary steps toward potential Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of new drug products.”
The DEA also said it wished to see an increase in the amount of psilocybin —the key psychoactive component of so-called magic mushrooms—produced for research for the same end.
To learn more, we urge you to read Kyle Jaeger’s detailed and insightful article in the September 1, 2021 issue of Marijuana Moment.
Cannabis and Car Accidents
One of the arguments made against the legalization of cannabis is that it will create a threat to public safety and will lead to an increased number of traffic accidents. Now, two new studies indicate that may not be the case at all.
Matthew O’Brien, writing in Four PM, points to a Canadian study in which investigators analyzed weekly driver’s traffic injuries at all emergency departments in both Ontario and Alberta. These are the two Canadian provinces with the greatest number of cannabis retailer stores.
According to O’Brien, the data investigators analyzed starting in April 2015 (three years before legalization occurred) all the way through the end of 2019, found that Canada’s decision to legalize cannabis did not increase the number of traffic injuries.
Said the researchers, “Implementation of the Cannabis Act was not associated with evidence of significant post-legalization changes in traffic-injury ED visits in Ontario or Alberta among all drivers or youth drivers, in particular.”
O’Brien also cites the results of a study by researchers at Australia’s University of Melbourne. They found, “Road safety risks associated with medicinal cannabis appear similar or lower than numerous other potentially impairing prescription medications.”
We should be clear, neither O’Brien nor the research he describes suggest mature consumers should feel free to light up and roll on down the road. What they do indicate is that there is no evidence that legalization of cannabis will unleash a torrent of traffic accidents, trips to the emergency room and personal injury litigation.
To learn more, we urge you to read Matthew O’Brien’s article in the August 30, 2021 issue of Four PM.
www.fourpm.co/p/does-cannabis-cause-car-accidents?
Cannabis and Hunger
Any self-respecting stoner comedy is pretty much obligated to include a scene in which a character succumbs to an intense wave of hunger, commonly referred to as “the munchies.” Soon after smoking a joint the film’s protagonist will invariably start to consume copious amounts of junk food, eventually falling asleep with a bag of chips or cookies resting on his or her chest.
Emma Stone, writing for Flourtown, wanted to understand the science behind “cannabis fueling a desire to eat everything in sight.” The culprit, it turns out, is THC, the intoxicating cannabinoid in cannabis.
Explained Dr. Patricia Frye, cannabis expert and chief medical officer at HelloMD, THC works to partially activate the brain’s CB1 receptors.
Said Frye, “THC is an appetite stimulant. When the CB1 receptors are activated, they stimulate areas of the brain that produce appetite, or the desire to eat. Any mode of delivery that delivers THC to the bloodstream and brain, including inhalation, oromucosal methods, or edibles, can increase the user’s appetite.”
Stone also points to a 2014 study on mice in which neuroscientists argued that THC connects with receptors in the brain’s olfactory center, enhancing the user’s ability to smell food.
Said Stone, “Sense of smell and taste are closely linked, so when the scent of food is enhanced, taste becomes heightened as well. The natural outcome is increased appetite.”
Researchers have also suggested the feeling of hunger driven by THC is similar to the feeling of hunger experienced when fasting, with THC essentially fooling the brain into believing that the body is starving, even if it’s not.
You can learn much more, including what to stock in your pantry for healthier “munchy” binging, by reading Emma Stone’s entertaining and informative article. While it was written for Flourtown, it also appeared in the August 30, 2021 issue of Benzinga.
www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/21/08/15542403/the-munchies-explained-why-weed-makes-you-hungry?
Cannabis Quote of the Week
“This new solution (medical marijuana) allowed me to ween off of prescription pharmaceuticals completely. I felt good physically and my head was much clearer. I felt healthy, I felt energized, I felt free. Free from the downward spiral my body and my mind had experienced with pain and anxiety pills.“—Former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason. His comments, reported by Wesley Muller in the Louisiana Illuminator, are taken from Gleason’s testimony before the Medical Marijuana Commission established by the Louisiana Legislature.
A former standout on special teams, Gleason was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 2011. He entered the meeting room at the State Capitol in his motorized wheelchair—a result of the neuromuscular disease taking away his use of all muscle functions.
According to Muller, Gleason found relief with a cannabis tincture, which is a pharmaceutical grade liquid extract. He said medical marijuana gave him the ability to find new purpose in life, growing his ALS advocacy foundation, Team Gleason, which has since given $18 million in adventure, technology, equipment and care services to over 20,000 people living with ALS.
Said Gleason, “I’m not saying it all happened because of the help of medical marijuana, but I can say with 100 percent confidence that those accomplishments, the inspiration, nor the tens of thousands of people that we serve—none of it happens if I were still on those prescription pills.”
To learn more we suggest you read Wesley Muller’s article for the Louisiana Illuminator. It also appeared in the August 30, 2021 issue of Marijuana Moment.
Stats of the Week
This week’s magic number is 11 percent. According to the folks at MJBizDaily, edible products containing the cannabinoid CBN accounted for 11 percent of sales in California in June. That was up 6.5 percent from 2020.
While most consumers are still focused on the percentage of THC or CBD in a product, CBN is growing in popularity, primarily as a sleep aid.
Andrew Long, writing for MJBiz Daily, reports that Kiva Brands’ Camino Midnight Blueberry gummies, which contain 1 part CBN to 5 parts THC, have been the top-selling edible in California for the past two quarters.
There are those in the industry who believe CBN’s sedative effects can be amplified when paired with THC. In fact, Long says many regulated CBN products contain this hybrid or ratio model, providing a small portion of CBN paired with some amount of THC, such as Camino’s 5-to-1 proportion.
Many in the industry believe minor cannabinoids, such as CBN and CBG, which are not intoxicating and can be used in topicals, edibles and beverages, show great promise as part of the wellness market.
For example, while CBN can promote sleep, CBC is thought to help relieve pain and inflammation and CBG is thought to help relieve ailments associated with immune disorders.
To learn more about CBN and the complicated process required to make it, we urge you to read Andrew Long’ excellent reporting in the August 31, 2021 issue of MJBizDaily.
mjbizdaily.com/cannabinoid-cbn-might-be-surprise-hit-in-cannabis-industry/?
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.
