Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at cannabis and professional athletes, the need for more training for dispensary workers, a cannabis competition at the California State Fair and more. Enjoy.
Cannabis and Sports
Increasingly, professional athletes are turning to cannabis to help manage pain and enhance performance. That’s the word from Gavin Newsham writing for the New York Post.
In an article that appeared in the September 18, 2021 issue of the Post, Newsham shares comments taken from a new book, “Runner’s High” (G.P. Putnam’s Sons) by Josiah Hesse. Hesse contends cannabis use is “rife in professional sports.”
Former Denver Nuggets basketball player Kenyon Martin told Hesse he estimates that 85 percent of the players in the NBA use cannabis, while ex-Philadelphia Flyers enforcer Riley Cote said he believes at least half the players in the National Hockey League also use it.
Also in the book, Martellus Bennett, who played for five teams during a ten year professional career, claims that nearly 90 percent of professional football players rely on cannabis, mostly to manage pain. Bennet says players use it as an alternative to using opioids to address pain.
Former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin told Hesse he used cannabis before each game so he could cope with the anxiety he suffered playing in front of large crowds.
In the book, Hesse makes the argument that not only does the drug’s anti-inflammatory properties soothe injuries, it also aids recovery after intensive training, helping to reduce fatigue. The key for athletes, he contends, is finding the right dose in order to get the desired benefit.
It should be noted that the estimates of the prevalence of cannabis use by players are anecdotal in nature.
To learn more, we urge you to read Gavin Newsham’s reporting in the New York Post.
nypost.com/2021/09/18/why-more-professional-athletes-use-and-rely-on-cannabis/
Cannabis Quote of the Week
“The thing that really struck me about this is that dispensaries really operate in a different paradigm than what we’re used to as a medical paradigm. In the medical paradigm, we always think about, with any therapy, both the benefits and the potential risks or harms. And so I think what really stood out to me is that I want my patients to know about the potential harms of cannabis so that they can be really informed consumers and use the product safely as possible. I cannot expect that to happen at a dispensary.”—Jessica Merlin, MD, PhD, MBA and associate professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Merlin’s comment is taken from an article written by Alyson Martin for Cannabiswire.com. Martin’s article focused on a study conducted by researchers from University of Pittsburgh. The researchers surveyed a national cross-section of people who worked at cannabis shops that sold cannabis that contained THC and who talked to customers about their purchases.
According to Martin, the survey was conducted between February and October 2020 and queried 434 respondents from 351 “unique” cannabis shops. Researchers specifically asked those who participated about their approaches to “formulating customer recommendations and talking to customers about risks.”
Dr. Merlin believes the study, which was published in JAMA Network Open, a monthly open access medical journal published by the American Medical Association, points to the need for more education and training for dispensary staff, particularly those who serve customers who are purchasing cannabis to address a medical condition.
Clearly, it comes down to this. When dispensary staff help customers make decisions about what kind of cannabis product is appropriate for a particular medical condition, they are taking on the role of a clinician. One would hope the advice they dispense is based on more than the observation that, “other folks found it helpful.”
To learn more, we suggest you read Alyson Martin’s article about the study in the September 15, 2021 issue of Cannabiswire.com.
cannabiswire.com/2021/09/15/how-do-cannabis-shop-workers-approach-product-recommendations/
If you would like to read the study itself, just click on the link that follows.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2784114?
Senior Celebrity Spotlight
Actor, writer, art collector and cannabis advocate Cheech Marin has had a line of marijuana and CBD products available through his Website, Cheech’s Private Stash, for some time.
Now Marin’s CBD products are going global. Perhaps best known for his comedic partnership with fellow cannabis advocate Tommy Chong, Cheech has inked a new business partnership with Denver-based AF Life Sciences.
According to Jelena Martinovic, reporting for Benzinga, under the strategic manufacturing, marketing and global distribution partnership, AF Life Sciences agreed to produce and distribute “Cheech’s Stash” CBD products, as well as a new line of Kombucha.
Cheech’s Stash CBD is described as a line of hemp-derived products aimed to reduce pain, inflammation and help facilitate deep relaxation.
Kombucha is described as a fermented, lightly effervescent, sweetened black or green tea drink commonly consumed for its purported health benefits. It is thought by some to possess probiotic qualities. Cheech’s Kombucha will feature flavors infused with nutraceutical-grade CBD.
A nutraceutical product is usually defined as a foodstuff (such as a fortified food or dietary supplement) that is designed to provide health benefits in addition to its basic nutritional value.
Said Marin about the partnership, “We are very pleased to collaborate with AF Life Sciences, as we took our time to find the right company that would meet our standards of quality.” He added that he and his children—Cheech’s Private Stash is a family business—decided to partner with AF Life Sciences because of the company’s dedication to excellence as well as their experience in the CBD and beverage market, and their commitment to maintaining a high standard of product quality as an industry leader.
AF’s CEO Cliff Henley said of the deal, “AF’s focus is to produce Cheech’s line of infused products using only ingredients known to provide the highest level of efficacy,”
You can learn much more by reading Jelena Martinovic’s article in the September 21, 2021 issue of Benzinga.
To see the full range of products available on the Website Cheech’s Private Stash, click on the link that follows.
Cannabis In The Mainstream
If all goes as planned, starting in 2022 visitors to the California State Fair can bypass the Alpacas, the Virtual Insect Pavillion and the Food Festival—we hear a Bacon Pecan Cinnamon Roll won Best in Show in 2019—and head straight for the Cannabis Competition.
You read that right.
Starting in 2022, in addition to recognizing the best cheese, olive oil and wine produced in the state, the State Fair will sponsor a cannabis competition. The science-based competition is open to all licensed California cannabis cultivators and is intended to showcase the quality and diversity of the cannabis grown in the state.
According to Kyle Jagger, reporting for Marijuana Moment, a total of 77 medals will be awarded including the “Golden Bear” trophy for “Best of California.”
Rather than using subjective criteria, winners will be decided based on “science-based analysis performed and certified by SC Labs,” a cannabis testing operation.
Strains submitted for the competition will be grouped by indoor, outdoor and mixed growing environments. Each strain will be judged by the level of THC and CBD present in the strain as well as evidence of various terpenes, such as myrcene and limonene.
According to the Fair’s website, cannabinoids and terpenes in cannabis can represent upwards of 40 percent of the mass of a female flower. The profile of these highly potent compounds is referred to as the plant’s chemotype; the identification and measurement of the cannabinoids and terpenoids in a strain.
The organizers believe the chemotype profiles offer a better method of organizing and judging cannabis strains and predicting the effects and aroma and flavor attributes of each than a simple “taste test.”
Fair organizers said the submission window for entrants officially opens on November 1, 2021 and closes March 30, 2022. Award Winners will be announced in May 2022. Fair officials have also made it clear “there will be NO sales or consumption of cannabis products containing THC at the CA State Fair in 2022.”
The California State Fair is an annual 17-day event showcasing California’s industries, agriculture, and diversity of people. It is known for its blue-ribbon animal displays, culinary delights and competitions, live music concerts, a carnival, fireworks, and what is described as “other family fun.”
To learn more we suggest you read Kyle Jagger’s reporting on the competition. His article appears in the September 21, 2021 issue of Marijuana Moment.
You can also visit the California State Fair’s website and its official announcement of the competition.
castatefaircannabisawards.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.
